The End
by Dreamer of Legends
Summary: The seams of the world are showing.
1. Chapter 1

Mana spun and twirled lithely, throwing glittering arcs of fine sand up in the wake of her trailing feet. Barefooted, she roamed the sands of the great desert with glee, spinning and jumping with great leaps whenever she pleased. The temperature was just right-as always,-and she enjoyed the feeling of the not-too-hot sand sifting between her toes. The sun was shining brightly, (but not too brightly,) and nothing, down to the tiniest, minute detail, seemed out of place. Everything was absolutely perfect, the same as it had been yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before _that_, for as long as she could remember.

She stopped on the bank of the Nile river, plunking herself down with a sigh and splashing her feet in the not-too-cold water. She kicked idly, leaning back on her hands, bobbing her head from side to side and absently humming an off-key tune. After only a moment she sat up straight, swung her arms around dramatically, put her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands and gave a rather exaggerated yawn.

"Perfection sure is boring!" She declared, to no one in particular. She continued to hum a note of the hymn she had stuck in her head, bored, when the blessed light of an entertaining idea came to her. She felt the sudden urge to practice her magic, just once, despite not having an immediate need to. She had not felt the need to even touch her wand since coming here, and though she supposed that was a good thing in some ways, in others she felt as though she was missing a part of her identity without it. So she decided to practice, for no reason at all really except to escape the growing boredom.

She hopped to her feet excitedly and held out her hand casually, mentally reaching into the void between the realms and calling forth her wand. She half expected that it wouldn't work, the void was a layer of nothing in between here and the other worlds after all, and she wasn't sure if she could still reach into it from this place. Thus, her trill of excitement was that much greater when the familiar shape of her best (and only) wand materialized and then solidified in her hand with a subtle flash of pink light.

"Yes!" She shouted in victory, elated, and immediately pointed her wand straight at the ground.

"_Grant me the strength of a giant hand, to help me draw pictures in the sand!_" Mana chanted happily, and began to trace her wand slowly in midair. To her delight, the motions were etched into the sand as she drew, like a giant, invisible finger was copying her patterns into the ground. She clasped her hands together eagerly, already having more fun then she'd had in ages. Her wand tilted upwards with the motion, and a huge line stretched across the desert sand and well into the distant horizon.

"Oops." She jumped, quickly erasing the line in case anyone saw. She didn't think the Gods would mind her using magic here, but important people had this habit of adopting nervous looks whenever she attempted even the most harmless of spells. She didn't want her fun to be ruined so quickly!

For the next few minutes she doodled in the dirt, flicking her wrist to create sharp lines and gently weaving graceful markings here and there. When she was finished, she dispelled the enchantment and jumped back to examine her handiwork. A rough sketch of the Dark Magician Girl stared back up at her, and she smiled a bit, wistfully. She missed her ba. They hadn't seen each other in ages! For a life full of peace and relaxation there sure was a lot of work to do!

Mana decided then that she would have to go visit her later. But not yet, not until she was finished playing. If she went now it was more than likely that one of her superiors-perhaps even master Mahod himself,-would catch her and set her to work. She _would_ get her jobs done, just not yet!

She was starting to become a bit tired with drawing though, and was also having some difficulty attempting to come up with a new game to play. With a snap of her fingers, she reached for her spellbook next, hoping one of the spells would inspire an idea or two.

"Let's see. Offensive, defensive, neutral magics, non-combat spells, etcetera... let's try offensive. That's always more fun." A couple of flipped pages later, and her eyes lit up.

"Ooh! Garem Gruntbarrel's Fireball!" She read aloud. "Looks simple enough. Place hand at wand tip at an approximate ninety degree angle to the sun..." She trailed off into incomprehensible mutters, scanning the pages quickly. "No incantation required." She finished, snapping the book shut eagerly. With a quick flick she tossed the book over her shoulder and let it disappear in a mist of pink bubbles. Setting her feet in the appropriate stance, she placed her hand on the wand tip and stoked the magic within it. A slow heat began to grow under her hand, and she pointed the wand across the Nile so that even if it turned out stronger than she expected there was nowhere to go but underwater.

The budding energy grew and then peaked, sucking in sunlight now to fuel itself. With a mighty boom the fireball pushed off and soared across the river, going so far it actually touched the opposite bank! The aftershock of the blast knocked her back on her rump.

"Wow..." Mana breathed, a bit stunned at the sheer power of the fireball. "I'll have to remember that one!"

She got up and brushed the sand from her skirt, figuring that she'd probably caused enough trouble for one day. Wouldn't master Mahod be surprised if she went back and finished her jobs without having to be nagged!

Mana had just taken the first steps back toward the distant palace when an impossibly thunderous _boom_ sounded behind her and an invisible wave of power threw her mercilessly to the ground.

Elsewhere in the land, near to the magnificent palace that held the thrones of the Gods, a solitary figure sat as still as stone in front of an unwavering pool. This lonely pharaoh had kept a stoic and silent vigil over the pool since he had arrived, never moving from his seat unless directly summoned by the Gods themselves. When asked what he was doing, he merely replied in a hushed and solemn tone, his voice reflecting the set of a heart very far away.

"I am watching." Is all he would ever say, and no more could be wrested from him. Most would leave him alone then, wandering off to their own favourite places to pass time where none existed. Some particularly curious individuals would peer over his shoulder and attempt to see just what inside of the clear and empty pool was so interesting. But no one could see beyond the sun kissed ripples and their shining reflections.

No one but him. He would spend hours in a quiet, meditative reflection, staring unblinkingly into the unmoving depths, his eyes wandering from sight to unseen sight. His memory fueled the sights that the eye could not see, memories so strong they manifested themselves on the surface of the water. They were crisp and sharp, undaunted by the passing of the years. Though he had been apart from them for a long while, their faces were as clear and detailed as if he had parted with them only moments ago, and their voices rang through his ears as though they had only just spoken.

He watched them day and night, never moving, hardly breathing. And when they came together, when they again became as one, he could almost picture himself right there with them. He uttered their names with fond reverence, pausing respectfully after each until he reached the last of the group. A smile graced his face, as fleeting as a flower petal in the wind. He softly breathed out the name of the boy who had been his closest friend for so very long, blinking back the unwanted and unasked for tears.

"Yugi."

Atem reached out, letting his fingertips glide across the image, sending gentle ripples shuddering away from his touch. He missed them, all of them, but he would not let any of the bitter tears fall. He was not one to dwell in self-pity, and he understood that this was the way it had to be. He had made his choice, and for whatever doubts and regrets he would come to harbour in brief moments afterward, he knew that he was correct in his decision. Given the choice, he would not have changed anything. Yugi seemed to be doing just fine on his own, and he never was completely alone after all. Atem had made a promise to him long ago that their bond would live on through the friendship that they all shared.

He closed his eyes as he traced his hand limply across the water, letting memories scatter themselves behind his eyes. Sometimes, if he concentrated hard enough, he could still feel the invisible strings of the soul that bound him to that world, and to his dear companions inside of it.

As he sat there, lost in the pleasant glow of nostalgia and happy reminiscence, an uneasy quiver swelled under his hand. He opened his eyes and peered into the pool again, willing it to become still once more. He sensed something was terribly amiss before he saw it: dark, unnatural storm clouds billowing on the horizon, moving swiftly. A wave of uncertainty and fear that was not quite his own crashed over him then, and he understood that it was Yugi that felt these things and was subconsciously trying to send them across their now nonexistent mind-link. Even after all these years, Yugi still reached for him when danger was imminent. Despite the fact that he could now thoroughly handle himself, Atem realized that Yugi had never gotten rid of the habit of calling for his battle companion. Had he not been so worried at that moment, Atem might have been overcome with emotion at the thought that perhaps he had not been forgotten, even after all this time.

As it was, his own responding fear made all thoughts flee him as he sought to find an answer to this startling predicament. Without warning, a fierce wind whipped out of nowhere, snapping his cloak over his shoulders and pelting his eyes with grains of sand. They did not sting, he felt them not at all as they tried to dig into his skin. The gritty particles flew into his eyes and nose, a deadly situation, but he could see just fine and he continued to draw breath undisturbed. Squinting into the distance, he was alarmed to note the same pitch black thunderheads growing on his own horizon, chasing a lone figure across the vast desert.

"Mana!" Atem cried, a warning that was lost in the sudden mournful howl of a furious wind.


	2. Chapter 2

Mana ran as though all of the demons in the abyss were after her. She beat her footprints into the sand with as much urgency as she could muster, though she could not feel the little grains jabbing any harder against her bare feet than before, despite her furious pace. Tears streaked her face in spite of her efforts to control herself; she clutched her wand close to her in a grip so tight it was a wonder that she did not simply snap it in two. The raging tempest slowly gained ground on her with every step, and she could feel her hat whipping in the wind. Land and sky alike began to darken at an alarming rate, as the clouds devoured the heavens and hid the sun behind an impenetrable layer of lightning laced black. Every step was a battle against the wind that alternately pushed her from side to side and pulled her back towards it like a dragon with a struggling princess. She could see the palace before her now, promising safety if she could just make it within the sacred halls...

A lone figure detached itself from the rapidly darkening courtyard and took a few tentative steps towards her, gesturing to the massive storm and shouting indecipherably. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled as loud as she could.

"Run on!" She waved her arms in warning, trying to emphasize the urgency. "Pharaoh, run on!"

Atem looked stubbornly determined to stand his ground and wait for her. Mana, much more concerned for his safety than her own, picked up her pace and shouted more emphatically. Her warnings were swallowed up in the gale that tore around the both of them; it picked her right off the ground and hurled her the last few feet to the former pharaoh. Atem caught her and set her down, wrapping his cloak around them both as the wind furiously beat against the palace walls.

Screaming in unison they held each other in an embrace bred of pure terror. This was unimaginable, the level of fury contained within the tempest was beyond almost any they had ever seen! Atem had only witnessed something like this once before, and that was the occasion that the world had escaped utter destruction by a hair's breadth.

Before either of them had the chance to properly contemplate the specter of death looming over them (death in a place where there should be none was confusing enough by itself,) a piercing light shone through the blackness and renewed their hope. With a tremendous burst of energy the Egyptian Gods shot from the palace on white wings of power, and began battling with the very storm itself as the rest of the palace scrambled forth to see what was going on.

Atem could see the familiar faces through the slit in his cloak, but still they were too far to be of any help, and with the Gods attacking the unnatural force a very short distance away he feared that a single misstep from one of the giants could errantly crush them. Suddenly, Shadi was before him, collecting them swiftly and ushering them into the throng of gathered royals and magicians. Atem gently released his hold on Mana and turned to thank him, but he had already disappeared. Mahod rushed forward with an expression that warred between relief and the kind of anger that a parent experiences when he knows his children were goofing off, and nearly hurt because of it.

"What happened?" He demanded, trying to keep his voice level and his actions calm. It was obvious he was shaken badly, but he was determined not to show it. To his surprise, Mana flung herself into him and sobbed wordlessly. Mahod shot a pleading look towards Atem, obviously having no idea what to do. Atem only shrugged, as bewildered as he, and made a vague motion that he should comfort her.

Mahod patted her back awkwardly and murmured a few soothing words under his breath. Atem felt a strong hand grasp his shoulder, and he turned to find his father Aknamkanon standing behind him.

"Are you alright, my son?" He asked, and Atem nodded reassuringly. Though he was startled at all that was going on, he was not hurt.

"Do you know what is happening?" He questioned. His father merely shook his head.

"Nothing that cannot be handled. Look, even now the Gods are finishing their work."

It was true, Slifer was swallowing up huge forks of lightning within his jaws, Obelisk clapped his hands together repeatedly and broke the clouds apart, and Ra was sucking the last of the wind into his golden wings. It appeared that the threat was no more.

"I wonder what happened..." Atem wondered aloud. Aknamkanon shook his head again and warned his son not to ask questions just yet.

"The Gods will tell us in their own time." He said, in a voice filled with conviction.

"But what if even they don't know what that was?" Atem said softly, lowering his voice respectfully. Aknamkanon did not respond, and a trace of doubt crossed his features. Apparently he had never seen such a thing happen before either. They said no more, but his father's expression weighed heavily upon his mind for the remainder of the day, filling his thoughts with unspoken words.

The sunlight returned to the desert quickly, and everything returned to normal so fast it was difficult for the imagination to picture the devastating force that had ripped through only a moment before. The Gods' rumbling voices filled their collective minds with a gentle reassurance that everything was as it should be, and not even Atem could doubt the words in the face of the comfort that they exuded. The Gods instructed them to return to their duties, and stated that they were not to be disturbed while they held a counsel amongst themselves. Not one voice rose up in protest of course, but some of Atem's nagging doubts, and fears that this might have been more dangerous than they were letting on, resurfaced. He tried to shake the pesky thoughts away, (this was the afterlife! What evils could possibly lurk here?) but found that they were not so easily banished. This made him doubly uneasy; the hairs on the back of his neck prickled and rose.

He noticed then that Mana was still clutching Mahod's robes in a grip of iron, and he tried to comfort her with a gentle touch.

"Mana... what's wrong?" He whispered, trying to turn her to face him. A huge presence drew near and bathed them in a radiant, soothing glow. Mana turned round to find the Winged Dragon of Ra bending to her level, locking her under the soft gaze of one of his bright red eyes.

"Be at peace, little one." He said to her, spoken in the tongue that only she could hear. Very gently, he touched the tip of his razor sharp beak to her forehead and stood, departing with the other Gods. Mana sniffed and squared her shoulders, wiping away the last of her tears. Atem wanted to question her about it, for he was worried, but everyone dispersed then and he lost her in the crowd.

_Mahod will see to her._ He assured himself, and turned to head back to his pool, still pondering all that had occurred.

The day started as any other should. Waking to a screaming alarm that nearly caused him to capsize his bed, wolfing down a bowl of cereal without hardly pausing to chew and trying to tidy his hair at the same time. Grandpa glanced from the newspaper he was reading to his watch and smiled, Yugi was running late again. It was a habit that was becoming steadily worse as the days wore on, and Solomon had to check a small, amused chuckle before it escaped him. The thought that Yugi of all people would ever be late for anything at all if given the choice was surprising to him still, though not as much as it once had been, he supposed.

"The customers won't care if you're five minutes late my boy." He tried to say as he rushed past at the sound of toast popping from the toaster. His movements were a blur as he grabbed a plate from the cupboard, buttered the crispy bread lightly, and slid two hot, sunny side up eggs that had been sizzling languidly onto it.

"Eat up." Yugi smiled as he dashed past again, sliding the plate expertly in front of his grandpa's appreciative gaze. Solomon looked up as Yugi rummaged through a desk drawer and pinned a little nametag to his shirt.

"You really don't need that, you know." He smiled. "Most of your customers know your face well enough to recognize who you are without it. Even some of the first-timers!" He threw a wink Yugi's way at his blush. It was true that most people recognized him on sight, even after so many years had passed. Having your face plastered on to every T.V. screen and newspaper tended to make you a bit more conspicuous than other folk.

Yugi paused and amended that thought, touching his cheek with one hand. _Well, _almost_ my face anyway._

He could not deny that as he had grown, and it seemed as though more and more of Yami's physicality could be seen maturing in him. It was beginning to look like the pharaoh left behind more than just some fond memories and a pedestal of self-confidence. Yugi was beginning to inherit his looks as well! Sometimes the face in the mirror was so close to _his_ reflection that Yugi had to pause and steady himself. There were still differences to be found though, that one stubborn lock of hair still insisted on hanging directly in the middle of his forehead no matter what he threatened to do with it. His eyes were not quite the pharaoh's either, still so soft and less sharply angled. But all the same, they burned with an inner fire so strong Yugi felt certain it would have equaled the light exuded by his good friend. It was amazing how far he had come, how much he had grown, even after their parting. Yami's influence still hung over him like a comforting blanket, reminding him that tough times were never as bad as he thought.

_Atem._ He corrected himself automatically, catching the mistake. The name still flew clumsily to his lips, not that he spoke about him all that often. Most all of his memories with him were of before he became the king, before they discovered his real name. Switching to it after so much time spent calling him 'Yami' was more difficult that he realized. He would always be Yami to him.

He stood in front of the mirror, lost in thought, until grandpa cleared his throat and looked tellingly at the clock. Jerked from his introspective reflection, Yugi brought his mind back to the present in a hurry.

"Come get me if you need anything." He instructed, dashing for the door to the shop.

"You know, just because I'm getting up there in years doesn't mean I can't look after myself." Grandpa huffed. "I could still run with the best of them!"

Yugi turned back with a challenging smile on his face. "Great, so does that mean you wouldn't mind taking the afternoon shift for me? I haven't hung out with the gang in a while, and we promised we'd meet sometime this week." Yugi didn't expect his grandpa to agree, but it was alright with him. He had already told his friends it might be a while before he got some time off. Grandpa was getting older, that was true, his old body creaking with more aches and pains now than ever before. He took the pain without complaint though, (most of the time,) understanding that it was a natural part of life.

Thus, Yugi was mildly surprised when grandpa nodded and agreed without an argument. He had indeed thought twice about his remark when Yugi had called his bluff, but thinking back to the long nights Yugi had been working for him he realized that a break was long overdue. He could handle the evening shift, most of the children would be playing with their newly collected cards by that time and the store would be quiet for the most part. His older, more experienced and familiar customers did not run him around in circles to look at the newest shiny card to adorn his shelves.

"Sure, sure, take the evening off. You deserve a rest." Solomon waved his hand at Yugi's slightly stunned expression. It was clear he had not expected his comment to be taken seriously. "Just don't do anything reckless! You haven't risked your life or your soul in a long time now."

Yugi's face split into a wide, slightly bittersweet smile. "Thanks grandpa. I'll be careful."

"And don't let the popularity swell your head too much young man!" He called after him as Yugi finally made it out the door and into the Game Shop.

_When has it ever?_ He mused to himself, the smile still on his face. Briefly he wondered what Yami might have said in response to that. Yugi paused in the act of opening the till, letting himself picture the spirit's answering words.

_Enjoy the recognition Yugi._ He thought, and if he concentrated hard enough, he could _almost_ hear the pharaoh's deep voice speaking the words. _It's about time you took some of the credit for a change._

Yugi's smile turned into a small grin as a wash of remembered warmth crept up on him. "Thank you Yami." He mumbled to himself, and he thought he heard the faintest hint of a laugh in the very back of his mind, rooted in a faraway and forgotten time. Shaking his head clear of the distracting thoughts, he affixed another bright 'howcanIhelpyousir?' smile to his face and finished the preparations to open the store.


	3. Chapter 3

"Thank you, please come again soon!" Yugi smiled and closed the door behind the last customer, a cheerful old woman with perhaps the biggest smile he had ever seen. He slumped against the door, exhausted but happy.

"Grandpa?" He called, scooting into the kitchen. Glancing at the clock, he noted that it was quarter after three, about the time that grandpa should be waking from his nap. The house was quiet, it didn't look like he was awake. Yugi shrugged and rubbed an aching shoulder, deciding that it was probably for the best. There were still a fair number of heavy boxes to unload from the shipment they had received this morning, though he had done his best to unpack the biggest ones before his shift ended.

Hearing the delicate jingle of the bell behind him, Yugi turned back to the store to continue with work. He was surprised to find that Solomon was already at the counter, greeting the customers with as much vigor and vitality as Yugi would have expected from him in the days of his youth. Solomon had aged well, truthfully, better than most, and though his hair showed more white in it now than gray he could still duel with the best of them.

"I didn't hear you come in, you were so quiet." Yugi commented, setting the keys to the shop on the counter.

"You were probably just distracted." Grandpa answered with a wink. "Looking forward to your night off?"

Yugi flashed a skeptical sideways glance at him, but didn't comment farther.

"Yes, thank you. But..." he hesitated, aware that his grandfather would not accept any uncertainties between them concerning his welfare. All the same, he wanted to be sure that Solomon would be able to handle himself. Yugi knew that Duel Monsters was, and would forever be his passion, and it was good to see him so animated, but the fact of the matter was that he was old, and exhaustion had a habit of pouncing on him when he least expected it. The last thing he wanted was for his grandfather to overexert himself for his sake.

Solomon sensed his hesitance, and quickly shooed him away. "Go on now, out." He gave him a nudge toward the door. "Honestly Yugi, I've run this store since before you were born!" He grumbled. "I can handle a single afternoon."

"Alright, alright!" Yugi laughed, shrugging away from his touch. "I have to call my friends first!"

Grandpa couldn't help the smile that came to him when Yugi darted back to the house. He would have willingly sacrificed this time off for him, he knew, but it was clear that he was excited nonetheless. Predictably, his voice wafted back a moment later.

"Hey Tea, are you doing anything tonight?"

~0oOo0~

Yugi did not realize just how long it had been since he had gotten away from work until he again stood before the fountain that was a favourite meeting place for the gang. Looking around, his mind was awash with memories. This was the place that he and Yami had stood awaiting the introduction of Battle City. It was at this very spot that they had pondered together what that night's trip to the museum had revealed, trying to piece together answers to some of the questions. It was here that they firmly decided to await whatever dangers were headed their way with conviction and determination, and this very spot continued to serve as an almost sacred place to meet and discover new adventures.

A call from behind and to his left a bit brought his mind back from it's wanderings, and he turned to greet the speaker.

Joey sprinted up the pavement to meet him, and Yugi had barely raised a hand in greeting when he was nearly taken off his feet by the embrace Joey wrapped him in. Yugi felt a few of his ribs crack under the grip of the bear-like hug, and he struggled to force enough air in to speak.

"You haven't changed a bit." He grunted, taking in a great gulp of air when Joey finally set him down.

"You have!" He returned, putting a hand atop his head and measuring the distance between their heights. Star-like hairstyle not included, Yugi was almost as tall as he was. "You've grown a foot and a half since I saw you last!" He took the opportunity of a well placed hand to ruffle Yugi's hair. He swatted the hand away and made a face.

"Oh come on, it hasn't been _that_ long. A few weeks at best." He laughed, matching Joey's own huge grin. His earlier statement was not quite true, Joey had changed, though subtly. A bit thicker in the shoulders perhaps, the muscles in his torso a little more defined. His hair had grown wilder if that was at all possible, bangs often hanging into his eyes so that he had to constantly brush them away to see. Other than a few physical improvements though he was still the same old Joey; he was wearing his old green jacket today, and a faded pair of blue jeans that showed more than a few comfortable holes in them.

Joey puckered his lips and blew a stray bit of hair from his face. "Mai's been bugging me to get a haircut for a while now. But I dunno, I kinda like it." He winked. "I might keep it just to annoy her."

Yugi grinned and laughed, unsurprised at his attitude. He remembered the day that Mai had returned, looking as though she had never left. It was an awkward reunion at first, because everyone knew she hated having to apologize for anything, and having to own up to ones mistakes is never an easy thing. But it was clear that she was honestly sorry for all that she had done, and no one held any grudges against her. For the first little while she was still quiet, tense, as if waiting for the happy bubble to burst and leave her standing in the heavy downpour of loneliness and uncertainty. But gradually, with much coaxing and reassuring words between them all, she began to come out of her shell more and more, until she was again the fiery and headstrong duelist that they all knew and loved. It was Joey who spent the most time with her during the long weeks of her transformation back to the woman she used to be, and it was clear a strong bond had developed between them.

"Listen Yug, there's something I've gotta ask you, before the others get here." Joey said, suddenly serious. He drew Yugi off to the side a bit, away from prying eyes. Drawing in a deep breath, Joey rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out a small box. Yugi's eyes widened, suspecting what it was.

"Joey..." He breathed. "Are you sure?"

He nodded, a light in his eyes. "More sure than I've ever been about anything bud." He whispered. "I know it'll be tough, don't think I haven't noticed that she's older than I am." Joey paused to collect himself, biting his lower lip. "But Yugi, I love her. And I think she feels the same way. I've never felt so strongly about someone in my whole life, and I just... It just feels _right_, ya know?"

Yugi nodded and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I'm happy for you Joey. I think just so long as you follow your heart and trust in both of yourselves that everything will work out."

"Yug..." Joey began, touched by his words. His eyes started to shine, and he cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Thanks man." He grunted, trying to keep his voice from breaking. "That means a lot."

Yugi patted his back with a reassuring smile. "When are you planning to ask her?"

Joey straightened with a profound smile. "Not sure yet. I'm waiting for the right moment to hit me. Could be at any time!"

"Speaking of time, is she coming or what?"

Joey shook his head. "Nah, she's busy cleaning up her place. I think she's planning on selling it soon, gettin' a little bigger home, and if she'll agree to be with me, then we can decide together. I know money's a bit tight for her now, and two paying rent is always better than one."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck." Yugi said, as Joey stowed the little ring back in his pocket once more.

More shouting reached their ears a moment later, as Tea ran up to them cheerily and Tristan roared in on his motorbike. Serenity climbed off the back seat with practice, shaking her hair free of the helmet like she'd been through the motion a hundred times before. Joey, beginning to recognize his feelings towards Mai, could no longer hold a grudge against Tristan for trying to court his sister. But that didn't mean he had to give up the over protective big brother routine. It was in his job description.

"Hey!" He shouted. "Just what'da think you're doin' ridin' around with my sister like that?"

Tristan's sheepish response was lost as Serenity jumped in to defend him, explaining that he was her only mode of transportation considering Joey didn't own a car. Yugi just smiled as they bantered back and forth, turning to greet Tea properly. He felt his breath catch when he looked at her though, and to his supreme embarrassment he seemed unable to get anything intelligent out of his mouth. She laughed, oblivious to his reaction, and smiled warmly.

"Hey Yugi, long time no see!"

"Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it?" He blushed, hoping she wouldn't notice. Trying to change the subject, he cleared his throat and asked. "Have you seen Bakura around? He should have been here by now."

Her expression turned a little sad. "I got a phone call from him this morning. He says that work won't let him have the time off. But he sends his best, and he regrets that he couldn't be here."

"That's too bad." Yugi lamented, suddenly feeling like their gathering was incomplete. Sure Bakura had never been much for group gatherings before, but Yugi had hoped that after the spirit in his Item had been laid to rest Bakura would have been able to move on with his life.

_It's not so easy to forget people like them._ Yugi thought to himself, mentally comparing the two spirits. Though his relationship with the pharaoh had been a wholesome, wonderful thing, Bakura had not fared nearly so well. His spirit had been malicious and cruel, using Bakura as no more than a puppet to further his goals. Where Yugi and Yami had worked as a team, Bakura had been nothing short of a slave to the evil spirit. It was not easy to rid oneself of that feeling.

_I still have memories of the pharaoh, it must be the same for him._ Yugi realized. The same, but oh so very different too.

Just then a bright red and familiar sports car sped around the curb, and Duke Devlin himself climbed out of the vehicle looking just as suave and casual as ever. He was wearing his favourite dice shaped earring, as usual, and was dressed in a stylish black vest and jeans with thin red stripes running down the sides. He pulled a thin pair of sleek shades off his face and smiled a dazzling smile aimed directly at Serenity. Yugi didn't miss Tristan's scowl.

"Hey you guys, how've you been?" He greeted, scooting around his car and moving to clasp hands everyone, ending with Serenity, of course. He kissed her hands in greeting, and she blushed and politely pulled them away before Joey went bananas and turned them both into mincemeat.

After greetings had been exchanged and everyone accounted for they decided to head for a late lunch to catch up with each other. Pooling their money together, they ordered as many cheeseburgers, shakes, and fries they could carry, and headed back to the park to enjoy the impromptu picnic. The remainder of the afternoon passed and melted into evening as the friends shared laughs and jokes, occasionally dropping ice cubes down unsuspecting backs. Finally, as the sun was beginning to set and the horizon was beginning to darken, they decided that it was probably best to head home.

"Well gang, it's been fun, but I've got to roll." Duke announced, to murmurs of agreement.

"Yeah, I've got stuff to do tonight too." Yugi agreed. "But let's promise to meet again soon, alright?"

"Deal." Joey commented, and everyone else nodded their approval. Yugi noticed that Tea was distracted though, and he nudged her, noticing she was staring at something on the horizon.

"What are you looking at Tea?" She pointed with one hand.

"Look at those clouds, it could be a thunderstorm." She said, indicating the fast approaching blackness that was darker than just the sunset.

"What?" Joey asked, scooting over so he could see through the break in the trees. "The weather guy said nothin' but clear skies this week!"

"Don't believe everything you hear Joey," Tristan rolled his eyes. "Those guys guess half of the time."

"Those do look pretty sinister." Yugi agreed, ignoring the comments. "Guess we should head home before it gets here."

The gang packed up their respective things and shook hands once more, promising to get together in the near future. But before they had even parted a strong wind picked up out of nowhere, and they looked up to see the clouds had already reached them, as impossible as that seemed. Lightning flashed as the wind howled mightily, causing them to cover their heads as loose branches as other debris sailed toward them. The sudden ferocity of the storm, coupled with how fast it had moved, sent a shiver of fear coursing through Yugi. He caught himself unconsciously reaching to that far corner of his mind where once the connection with the pharaoh had been, as though some part of him still wanted to call to the spirit for his help and courage. He almost laughed at himself, but didn't because he knew it might be painful. Though Yami was no longer with him physically, he knew that the pharaoh was likely watching over them anyway, and that comforting thought helped him take action.

"Duke, we'll need to borrow your car!" He nodded his accord and immediately started ushering everyone toward it.

"There won't be enough room for all of us!" Serenity protested over the furious wind. Her eyes roved to Tristan and his bike, which now seemed fragile when compared to the power of the elements.

"Tristan!" Duke shouted as loud as he could. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine!" He yelled back. "You just make sure Serenity gets home safely!"

Duke nodded and flashed a quick thumbs up to ensure his promise. Tristan strapped his helmet on and rode off, trying to get away before the brunt of the gale hit and rendered him immobile.

Duke made sure that everyone got back alright, and Yugi waved his thanks to him as he drove away. The rain had started now, falling so thickly that all Yugi could see of Duke's car were the faded red blurs of his taillights. He quickly dashed inside and closed the door, dead-bolting it just to be safe.

"Yugi, is that you?" He heard his grandpa call from the kitchen. Yugi carefully took off his shoes and wet socks before heading inside.

"I was starting to worry about you Yugi, it's turned into quite the storm out there." Solomon noted that his grandson was soaking wet and shivering, and he motioned to the chair.

"Here, I'll fix you something hot to drink. Have a seat."

"Thanks, but I'm going to go get changed first." Yugi said, heading up the stairs two at a time. As he switched into some drier clothing, Yugi felt his gaze drawn to the window and to the unleashed fury outside of it. It was hard to believe that not even an hour ago the skies had been completely clear. He wondered where on earth such a tempest had come from!

He and grandpa shared some hot milk and cookies while discussing the weather and its unusual pattern. The radio was of no real help, the weather channel was just as baffled by this turn of events as anyone else. Yugi decided to call his friends and make sure everything was alright before he went to bed.

All of the calls were the same. Everyone was fine, no leaking so far, and the power was okay for now at least. Bakura was the last one Yugi called and when he answered there was a note of fear in his voice that instantly made Yugi's blood run cold and put him on the alert.

"Hello?" Bakura stammered, clearly frightened.

"Bakura, it's Yugi. Are you okay?"

"Yugi!" Bakura sounded relieved. "Listen, I need to talk to you. This storm, it's mad isn't it?"

"Yeah it's pretty crazy alright. I'm surprised the powerlines haven't been knocked down yet."

"Yes, it's a good thing they haven't. Listen, don't you feel something strange about it though? Something unnatural?"

Yugi couldn't tell what he might be hinting at, so he answered hesitantly. "No, not really. Other than the speed it got here there's nothing really unusual about it."

A note of impatience crept into Bakura's voice. "Don't you think it's even a little odd that it just sort of appeared out of nowhere?" He pressed. "Doesn't that strike you as off?"

"What are you hinting at Bakura?" Yugi asked, wondering why he would be trying to drop hints at all instead of coming right out and telling him what was up. But then it hit him. _Bakura has always been that way. _He realized. _He's always had the evil spirit of the Ring watching his every move, if he ever dropped any clues about his predicament they would've had to have been so subtle that he didn't pick up on them._

A bit more understanding now, and more anxious to hear his opinion, he spoke again. "Bakura whatever you think this is, just tell me. It's okay, I'm not going to judge you, and no one is going to think you ridiculous."

"Yugi, I think this is more than what it looks like." He whispered, and the fear in his voice set Yugi's nerves on edge. He was scared, truly scared. "What if it means-"

The phone suddenly gave a funny popping sound and went dead. A split second later, he was plunged into darkness as the lights went out and the power shut down. "Grandpa?" He called, fighting to keep the note of panic from his voice. A flashlight beam illuminated the shop, making him jump at the sudden exposure.

"Good thing I grabbed these beforehand." Grandpa muttered, handing one to Yugi and pulling a second one out of his pocket. "Did you reach everyone in time?"

"Yes," Yugi answered, a bit shaken. "But the call cut out on Bakura. He was trying to tell me something." Yugi stopped and looked his grandfather in the eyes. "Grandpa you don't think there's anything... weird about this storm, do you?"

Solomon hummed under his breath, crossing his arms and bowing his head in concentration. "I've felt more of an ache in these old joints than I have in a long time." He admitted, but when he caught sight of Yugi's expression he quickly amended. "Maybe it's nothing."

"Yeah, maybe." Yugi murmured. He took the flashlight and headed up the stairs to bed, thinking.

_The pharaoh destroyed the last of the evil in the world._ He thought, turning those words over in his mind and trying to convince himself of their truth. It was just a coincidence that Bakura cut out just before he said what he thought. Just a freaky coincidence. Nothing supernatural, nothing otherworldly, nothing overly dangerous. Just a storm. Just a storm...

Yugi slept fitfully that night, trying unsuccessfully to banish his doubts and fears.

Outside his window, the relentless assault continued unabated.

**A/N: Extra long chapter? Check. Freaky, suspense inducing ending? Check. I'm going to be with my laptop but without the Internet for a while, (a few days a most,) so if I don't answer you right away that's why. Got you on the edge of your seat yet? Just wait, it gets better. (Cue low pitched, maniacal chuckling.)**


	4. Chapter 4

While everyone else locked their doors and windows, lit candles, dug out board games and snacks and otherwise prepared to wait out the storm, a lone figure staggered through the rain washed streets with a drunken air. It was not alcohol that made him sway so, though his breath certainly reeked of it. Rather, it was the haze that covered his mind, the sheet of hopelessness and despair that coated his tongue with bile. He had experienced the peak of perfection, the pinnacle of power. He had given up everything he had, traded his very life so that he could become the best at his chosen craft. And indeed, with that motivation he had come close to the top. Very close. But he had lost, and because of that, a mirror was held before his eyes, a mirror that held a reflection he could not bear to look at. He had lost his drive, his passion, and thus he had long ago lost the will to go on.

His thoughts no longer formed around any firm and solid point. Once, his focus had been devoted entirely to his goal of becoming the greatest the world had ever known, the top ranking Duelist of any country. And that had been torn away from him, jerked from his disbelieving grasp by a _second rate chump! _He believed. Knocked into the depths of anguish by that humiliating defeat, clinging to life by a thread, he was easy prey for Marik and his Rare Hunters to pluck from the ocean's cold and deadening fingers. Then, guided by the unseen hand of his captor, his goal became that of revenge. He poured everything he had into the pursuit of the man that had defeated him, despite being unaware of his actions. When he was released from his mental imprisonment, he realized that the fleeting drive and goal that he had held again was not his own, and without it, he had nowhere else to turn. He wandered alone now, a lost and broken man, unable to find peace.

"It's all Wheeler's fault." He slurred, spitting with every other word. "Him'n that punk kid Yugi..." He stumbled and fell to his knees, and it took him a long while to realize it. He sat in the cold streets soaked to the bone, with nowhere to go. He could return to the bar, but what was the point? No amount of drink could wash away the sting.

He growled low, gritting his teeth. A fiery light lit in his eyes, burning darkly with an almost insane luster. He clawed open his vest and exposed the many decks of cards stashed within, feeling a surge of anger grip him in its talons. In that one instant, he came to realize that none of this would have happened to him if not for these blasted, thrice cursed cards. He said as much to the empty air (though with a much more colourful vocabulary,) as he tore card after card from his vest and flung them into the rain. A rabid sort of frenzy took him, and he started tearing cards left and right, cursing the monsters depicted on their surfaces and spitting after them. He believed in that one moment, that the cards could be blamed for everything wrong in his life. It was not his fault he lost, it was theirs! They failed him! He was not to blame!

A strange whirring noise filled the air as he destroyed card after card, cursing and spitting again and again. He payed it no heed, lost in the madness that was beginning to consume him. The buzz grew to a high pitched whine, loud enough to claw its way through the rain and fill his ears. He froze halfway through tearing another card, glancing left and right in an attempt to discern where the noise was coming from. The water obscured his vision, making it nigh impossible to see. He wiped the rain from his eyes and tried to stand, swaying as he vainly sought his balance. The whine deepened and grew louder until it sounded like the howl of some terrible machine. Panicked now, for he saw nothing, he backed away. He was almost glad when a yellowish light gleamed in the blurry darkness ahead of him, for it meant that he was not imagining things, that he had not finally lost his sanity.

That relief lasted the span of a heartbeat. That was how long it took the thing to fully materialize, that was how long it took for him to realize his doom.

A monstrous _thing_ with glowing yellow eyes and the lower body of a razor pendulum floated calmly, unerringly toward him. There was no life in its features, no emotion. No chance for mercy.

He began to scream, hoping that somehow he could force himself to wake from this living nightmare. He was going crazy, that had to be it! He swatted his hands before him as if to banish this unnatural creature that came at him with slow, deadly precision. The card he had been about to tear fell from his nerveless grasp, an exact image of the creature before him. It reached for him...

The screaming stopped cold, and the steady hum of falling rain once again closed over Domino City.

~0oOo0~

"Yugi, you had better have a look at this."

Yugi glanced up from his breakfast as Solomon tossed a newspaper at him. The headline caught his attention immediately, and he read aloud with growing horror in his voice.

"'_Man found dead in the flooded streets early this morning._'" He read. "'Keith Howard, age 28, was found lying facedown in the mud at approximately 7:28 a.m. Paramedics that arrived on the scene explained that he died of unnatural causes. He appeared to have wandered out onto the roads during the rain last night, and slipped on the wet pavement as a result of too much drinking. He sustained a critical head injury and fell unconscious; he drowned in the rapidly flooding street. There appeared to be no traffic on that road for the rest of that night and into the morning, which might explain why he was not found sooner than he was. What appear to be shreds of cards from the popular Duel Monsters game were found scattered around him, but what evidence this leads to his death, if any, is yet unknown.'"

Yugi's throat constricted, he could not speak.

_Bandit Keith... All this time bent on revenge and where did it get you?_

For all of the pains the man had caused for he and his friends, Yugi still felt a pang of sympathy deep in his heart. It was a horrible way to die, and he wondered if anyone knew him or cared for him enough to arrange his funeral. It was such a sad concept, to die alone, with no one to mourn your passing. At that moment, Yugi was more grateful for his friends than ever, friends whom he knew would be beside him until his dying day.

"That's awful..." Yugi commented, shoving the newspaper away. "I hope he's at least better off now then he was."

Grandpa murmured his agreement, but his thoughts seemed far away and distracted. Something nagged at him, something did not fit. He tried to brush it away, after all what did he know of this man and his ways? But he couldn't be rid of the feeling that something about this picture didn't fit. He couldn't pinpoint even what might be wrong, he just had the itch that all was not as it should be.

"What is it?" Yugi inquired quietly, sensing his grandfather's agitation.

Solomon briefly entertained the notion of telling him what he suspected, but that idea passed as soon as he looked into his grandson's eyes. He was worried enough as it was, there was no sense in scaring him further until he had a more solid basis for his theory.

"Nothing." He lied, and something in his expression prompted Yugi not to press the issue further, made him think that perhaps, he did not want to know.

"At least the storm blew over quicker than I expected." Solomon quickly changed the subject, moving to more pleasant topics. "With any luck nothing will have leaked!"

Yugi smiled to encourage the happy attitude, but a part of him still wondered. What with Bakura's scared assumptions last night, and grandpa's worried assumptions this morning, he was having trouble banishing the event from his mind like he would have liked. Plus, the death of Bandit Keith did not exactly help calm his nerves any. What was happening to his cozy little lifestyle?

He got up from the table to put his dishes away, planning to help his grandpa check the building for damages and leaks. He paused and picked up the newspaper again though, his eyes scanning the front pictures. There was a photo of Keith when he was younger, around twenty or so, looking as he did when they first met him in Duelist Kingdom. And there was a photo next to it, of him as he was found this morning. There was a startling difference, if Yugi didn't know for sure it was him, he would have sworn two different people gazed out at him from the paper. He was a shell of his former self, gaunt and unshaven, his prized bandana dirty and torn. The eyes truly spoke of the difference between the two. His eyes were empty, lifeless, cold...

Yugi almost jumped as a bolt of forked lightning shot through his brain. He had seen that expression before. Keith himself had worn that face when Yugi had last seen him, before the start of Battle City. His face was the same tormented face of a man trapped within himself.

... Or trapped within the Shadow Realm.

Yugi dropped the newspaper and shook his head several times, trying to prevent a host of new thoughts from assailing him, to no avail.

"No. No, no, no!" It's not possible. I'm only imagining things." He tried to convince himself, but the more he looked at the image the more he was convinced that Keith had not died 'naturally'. Someone had tampered with his mind, broken it, and left him to die in the streets.

"No!" Yugi shouted into the emptiness of the room, clapping his hands over his ears so that he could hear himself think more clearly. _Atem banished the powers of the Shadow Realm and all those who would wield it long ago. In the world of his memories... We were there... We saw him lock it away, once and for all._

_But what if this is different? _He gasped as new reasoning tried to make itself known. _Maybe this isn't about Shadow Games and evil psychopaths anymore. Maybe this is something else, something new._ He couldn't think, it was too much to take on all at once.

Grandpa came back into the kitchen then, cutting himself in the middle of what he was saying when he caught sight of Yugi's pale face.

"Yugi?" He began tentatively. "Are you alright?"

Yugi only half heard him. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Are we opening the store today?"

Solomon hesitated before answering, trying to see past the obvious lie. "No, I have a few minor repairs to do, and I doubt anyone will be out shopping today anyway."

"Right." Yugi nodded, obviously not all there. "If it's alright with you then, I'm going to go take a nap."

Without waiting for a response, and not bothering to consider that he had just woken up, he trudged up the stairs to his room and fell across his bed listlessly. He lay there for a long while, thinking and thinking, but unable to come up with any solid answers or solutions. He turned onto his side and fiddled with his blanket, twisting a thick string between his fingers.

_I wish you were here, Yami._ He sighed, closing his eyes. _You would know what to do._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N You may have noticed that I made a mistake in the first chapter, when I referred to the Dark Magician Girl as Mana's 'Ba'. After some additional research, I concluded that I had erred. The Ba is the life energy needed to summon the 'Ka', or in our case, the Monster that lives within souls and the stone tablets of the six priests. Future references to either of the two should be correct now, however if you suspect otherwise I would be happy if you would point them out. Thanks.**

Atem was stretched out flat on his stomach on a long, thin, overhanging rock that looked over his pool. He leaned his head in the crook of one arm and trailed his other hand through the water, as he was fond of doing. He could not hear the spoken words, but he felt the emotion coursing through his partner's heart as gently as windblown leaves. Yugi was worried about something, and truth be told, Atem was worried too. He had seen the storm clouds, and it had not escaped him that the respective storms had occurred at roughly the same time. When Atem had returned here after the incident, he was startled to discover that Yugi's world had not escaped the tempest. It was not nearly as harsh as the one that had nearly torn the palace out of the ground, but it lasted a lot longer, and caused multiple power outs across Domino.

Atem was not easily agitated; his reserved and collected demeanor kept any anxious feelings beneath a mask of inscrutability. But by the set of his jaw and the hard, determined light in his eyes, it was obvious to anyone that he was eager to be summoned, wanting to learn more about this strange predicament. The Gods knew what was going on, they had to! They could tell him what was happening, they could ease his fears.

He sighed heavily, hating the anxious feeling that gnawed at his heart, and yet knowing he had to be patient and wait. The Gods were never rushed. Once they got together to discuss something, they were not to be disturbed. The decision would be made when it was made, and no amount of prodding and pleading would make it go any faster.

He let out a tense breath and sat up, leaning out over the pool to try and see better. Yugi was asleep now, but not at rest. A nightmare seemed to be bothering him. Atem regretfully waved the image away, wishing he could do something to help, and carefully monitored the rest of his friends for a handful of minutes. He paused when Bakura's image filtered into the pool, noticing a number of photographs strewn on the floor around him. He held a large, bulging folder in his lap, swiftly flipping through the papers and pictures with slender fingers. Every now and again he would pull out a sheaf of paper, scan it quickly, and place it in a pile on his left. Sometimes he would pause and scribble something onto the notepad before him.

Curious, Atem leaned closer, trying to decipher the elegant scrawl. The photographs all depicted Egypt, from snapshots of the great pyramids to dark and dusty tombs, and the occasional shot of a marketplace or palace. He couldn't make out what it was that Bakura was writing, though his nose was practically touching the water. It was then he noticed that the images he was looking at seemed to be almost... _under_ the water, instead of projected on it's surface as he once had thought. Atem glanced around to make sure no one was watching, held his breath, and gently pushed his face under the water.

A strong sense of vertigo attacked him, he felt like the rock beneath him was tilting sharply. Despite his grip on the stone, he felt himself slipping, plunging farther into the shallow pool than should have been possible...

A hand grasped his shoulder and hauled him back. Thick streams of bubbles erupted from him as he inadvertently opened his mouth to gasp. Shaking his head, he coughed once and looked to see who had saved him. Mahod held his arm until Atem realigned himself onto the rock.

"Are you okay, my king?" Mahod asked, respectfully releasing him as soon as it was apparent he was not going to fall back into the water. He looked extremely confused. Atem wiped the water from his eyes and nodded, trying to come up with an adequate explanation for why his head was in the pool.

"I thought I saw... something." He said, somewhat awkwardly. "I was trying to see if it was only a trick of the light."

Mahod didn't seem convinced, but he nodded and did not question further. "I come bearing grave news." He informed him, and Atem stood up, attentive.

"What is it?"

"There was a... tremor of sorts, in the mystic alignment." He began, searching for the best way to explain. "I felt a rift open in the fabric of the world, a narrow slit through which something passed unhindered."

Atem's eyes narrowed, trying to process this. "Where did you feel this? When?"

Mahod shook his head. "I no longer carry the Millennium Ring," he explained, "but I have grown sensitive to the delicate balance that is needed to maintain order in the world. Though time does not pass here, I would say that a full earth day has passed since I felt the disturbance. Right before the unnatural storm that assailed us encroached upon the palace."

Atem's eyes widened at that. "Do you believe the events are connected?" He whispered, hoping that perhaps he had a lead, and fearing what it would mean if he did.

"Perhaps." Mahod admitted, unwilling to leave any guesswork in the mix. "I suppose we will know for certain when the Gods reveal themselves to us once more."

Atem sighed, knowing he would have to be satisfied with that.

~0oOo0~

A knock sounded on the door of the Turtle Game shop later that afternoon, and the soft sound cut through the silence so intensely that Yugi actually jumped and nearly fell out of bed. He stumbled out of his room and to the front door, only half-aware of his actions as he made them. He hurried past Solomon, who was cooking supper over the stove, and nearly tripped on his way to the store.

"Yugi?" Solomon asked, half turning to see his grandson stumbling this way and that. "What are you doing?"

Yugi didn't hear him, preoccupied as he was with keeping his feet moving in a straight line. When he finally got to the door he took an incredulous breath to steady himself and prepared to greet the visitor. Bakura stood on his doorstep, fist poised for another knock. He quickly lowered his hand when Yugi appeared though, supporting a bulging folder of papers under his arm.

"Bakura! What are you doing here?" Yugi asked, surprised to see him.

"Hey Yugi." Bakura tried to smile, but the warmth did not reach his troubled eyes. "I have something I need to talk to you about. Do you mind if I come in?"

Yugi invited him inside, and they sat at the table as Bakura spread out the contents of his folder. Pictures of dusty and eroded hieroglyphs peeked out from pages of scientific scrabble that seemed to him as though they were written in another language entirely. Yugi plucked one from the table with interest, recognizing it in part.

"That's the place where the pharaoh found his memories, isn't it." He said, not really questioning since he knew no other place could inspire such a mix of feelings in him.

Bakura hesitated, seeing the spark of both pain and acceptance in his friend's eyes. Having had his own share of adventures (though not nearly as pleasant,) with an ancient spirit, Bakura could empathize in part. It was difficult to lose that connection, that intimate bond with another, even if it was the best thing that ever happened to you. He placed a hand on Yugi's arm in silent support, and Yugi wanted to kick himself for being so insensitive.

"I'm so sorry." He stuttered, realizing what his reaction must have inspired. Bakura smiled again, and this time a note of honest understanding and forgiveness crept into his voice. "It's no big deal. You and the Pharaoh had a different relationship than I had with... the spirit."

Bakura flinched, refusing to address his personal demon with his own name. "I've accepted that, and I'm starting to move on. It's... it's just hard, sometimes. Sometimes I think he is still there, in my mind. Blaming me for his failure, saying I wasn't strong enough to help him..." The words caught, and he shot a pleading look at Yugi, begging him to understand. "Sometimes I wonder why I didn't help him."

He gave a low, strangled laugh. "Isn't that the worst? He was evil, clearly bent on the destruction of the earth. But there were times, I don't remember them too well, that he would mourn over everything he had lost. In those times he was almost... human."

Yugi could hardly believe what he was hearing, but if he stopped to consider it, it made sense. The pharaoh had told him that the evil Bakura was out for revenge for the destruction of his village. Perhaps that desire for vengeance mutated and grew into a hatred for all the world, and a desire to bend it to his will, but once... Once he was human, with justifiable, (though misguided) reasons for his actions. It was obvious to him that Ryou was not certain how he felt about that.

Bakura shook himself then, trying to rid himself of such thoughts. "But never mind about that, that's not why I came to see you."

He took the photo back from Yugi and pulled a magnifying glass out of his pocket. "Have a look here." He handed the glass over and pointed to an unremarkable corner of the stone. Yugi peered at the spot intently, but could see nothing of interest.

"What is it?"

"These were pictures taken inside the room that those tablets of lost memories were found. My father's crew made an interesting discovery there a few months back, and he's been working hard to uncover what it means. Now, take a look at this one."

He flipped another similar picture onto the first one, and Yugi brought the magnifying glass around again.

"There's writing there." He said, surprised, drawing back and examining the picture without the glass this time.

"This is the same picture, magnified several times. We're not sure how the man found it, it's almost too small to see by the naked eye. At first it was thought he was drunk, he was in quite a stupor when he signaled his comrades over. But we took the samples regardless, it's a miracle such delicate writing survived the centuries. There is much that was lost, but a good portion of it was recovered."

Bakura then sifted through the stack of notes, pulling a single sheet of paper out of the pile. It was very worn, having been read and re-read many times. He handed it to Yugi to examine.

"This talks about the Shadow Games!" Yugi exclaimed, eyes wide as he quickly devoured the text. "Ancient games of magic and monsters... Offerings... Deadly consequences..."

"That's what we thought at first, too. But now, we think we were wrong."

Yugi looked at him curiously, not understanding. Grandpa came over then, carrying bowls of steaming rice and shrimp. Bakura politely started to gather his things to make room, but Solomon waved him away and cleared a small spot for the three of them. "I'm interested to see what this new discovery is too!" He insisted with a half smile.

"Alright. Then make yourselves comfortable, this is going to take a while to explain."

**Ugh, unoriginal chapter is unoriginal. I need to stop writing things until I have memorized this show backwards and forwards once more. I appreciate your patience guys! Love you all. :D**


	6. Chapter 6

The halls were unusually silent. The priests and former pharaohs walked with their heads bowed and their thoughts turned inward, sorrowful expressions creasing the faces of all. Atem, in one of the rare moments he could be found away from his customary watchful spot, walked among them, but he was preoccupied and distracted and did not take note of the unusually downcast mood. His thoughts wandered time and again to Bakura, and the fractured images that had filtered through to him. His actions had been purposeful and intent, going beyond simple curiosity or idle research and moving into the realm of frenzied searching. He thought again about the maelstrom that had somehow attacked both realms, living and dead, and wondered if the events were in some way elusively connected. He thought on it long and hard, but was unable to come up with any valid explanations.

Eventually he noticed that his musings and wandering feet had brought him again before the thrones of the Gods of Egypt. He stopped before the impressive structures, hoping that the Gods would bring news soon. Surely such an occurrence, no matter how odd, could not take such an infuriatingly long time to sort through!

"You are impatient, my son. It ill becomes you."

Atem turned to find his father standing in the doorframe, regarding his son with a curious expression.

"I am worried, father. Concerned for the safety of my friends."

Aknamkanon nodded silently and came to stand at his son's side. "I know that your feelings for them have not dulled in the slightest since your departure. No, if anything they've grown stronger." He put a hand on Atem's shoulder. "But you must understand, the affairs of the world are no longer your concern. You must let things take their due course, no matter what the outcome seems to be."

"But if something evil is in store for them, I wish to be there for them as I have in the past. I will not sit idly by if a challenge approaches." Atem spoke with conviction, more than ready to do whatever he could to ensure that none of his companions were endangered. Aknamkanon grew silent, suddenly uncomfortable. Atem sensed the change, and turned about again, away from his father's comforting touch.

"... What is it?" He said softly, searching his eyes for clues. "Father, what is going on? Do you know?"

Aknamkanon spread his hands out in a neutral gesture. "I know just as much as anyone, my child. Just as much as you."

"But there is something you are not telling me." Atem guessed, trying to read his facial expression. "Something bad."

Aknamkanon shook his head and refused to say any more. He advised Atem to wait patiently, and to try not to worry for the people that he had become so attached to. It was, as he said, 'better to wait with anticipation than with worry and fear.'

~0oOo0~

"So you see," Bakura finished wearily. "The Shadow Games were invented by the wielders of the Millennium Items, but we knew that the origin of the monsters themselves did not begin with the Items. Duel Monsters have lived parallel to us since our world was born, feeding off what is known to them as our 'thought energy'. Which I guess could mean just about anything that goes on in our heads."

"Which would explain why some of the monsters are bent on committing evil acts of destruction and chaos, whereas others want nothing more than to coexist peacefully with us." Solomon added, nodding his head with every word. "Perhaps they survive on the imaginations of the human world, it could be what gives them life."

"But since not all of the monsters are good, there must be those that feed off of negative emotions and thoughts as well. Perhaps the Shadow Realm is where those monsters go to become more powerful, more deadly." Yugi said, his mind reeling with all they had discussed.

"Right," Bakura interrupted, trying to draw them back to his original point. "But what I'm saying is that those monsters could not have survived long unless there was some way to garner the nourishment they needed, and the only way for that to happen would be if souls were constantly being devoured by the shadows. And there is only one way they could accomplish that."

"By forcing the victim to commit acts of evil, creating enough darkness to feed on until they were consumed by the darkness itself." Yugi muttered grimly.

"Exactly. Yugi, I know that the pharaoh sealed away the last of the evils to plague mankind. I know the story of how you all courageously fought against the Dark One, and sealed away his darkness for good. But what if this whole 'supernatural evil from another dimension' was not the _only_ one of it's kind?"

"It seems an unkind twist of fate to me." Yugi sighed, unwilling to accept it. "The Gods could not be so cruel."

"This may be beyond even them." Grandpa grunted, surprising them both. "Perhaps the warning speaks of the Duel Monsters themselves, and what their ultimate goal is."

"That's what I was worried about." Bakura nodded, examining the sheets of paper once more. "The script speaks of sacrifices, but it does not say what for. I don't think these were the same sacrifices that occur in the Shadow Games. I think these were sacrifices to the monsters _themselves_, to grant them power and dominance over their brethren in the other realm."

"But why?" Yugi countered. "It doesn't make any sense. What could the monsters have to gain by ruling their brethren? It's not like they could command an army to march anywhere, they own that entire realm!"

They lapsed into sullen silence, having no answers. "And besides," Yugi commented further, his voice growing stronger in his conviction. "The three legendary knights of Atlantis would have stopped any battles before they even began. They were not the guardians of that realm for nothing."

"Yes, but they were sealed in time for thousands of years." Bakura reminded him. "Anything could have happened in that time."

"What are you saying Bakura?" Yugi demanded, scared that this whole discovery might be much more dangerous than he was willing to believe.

"I'm saying, Yugi, that just because the monsters were subdued and controlled for a short time does not mean that they are unable to act on their own anymore. The Heart of the Cards is real, the monsters are real, why wouldn't they be able to grow in power like anything else? What scares me most is the thought that all of those dark creatures that we duel with have ulterior motives, and are bidding their time and waiting for the day they become strong enough to return the favour."

A deathly hush settled. No one spoke for a long time, unwilling to accept it, unwilling to comprehend. Yugi was hit the hardest, the knowledge that there might yet be more threats attacking the earth striking mental blows into his heart and soul. He had thought it was over, thought that he could finally forget the burden of the world. Now it seemed that peace was about to be taken from him, and this time he didn't have his friend and companion beside him to face the danger as one...

"This could be grave news indeed, if we have it interpreted correctly." Solomon mumbled into his beard. "Duel Monsters have ever been difficult to control, and only with respect can you gain the trust and full extent of their power. Perhaps those who have not been respected are waiting for the day when they are summoned and are strong enough to disobey the commands of their summoners."

"But they are just holograms now, grandpa. Without the Shadow Games, they cannot truly come to life. Right?"

He looked to the others, trying to find solace in logic. But their expressions mirrored his own inner torment. Uncertain, and intensely afraid, Yugi could only bite his lip and pray that they were all horribly wrong.

~0oOo0~

The wind was pleasantly warm this day, as it teased the trees with playful whispers. Birds chirped cheerily and bounced along the path in front of the pair, leisurely pecking for stray crumbs that the seniors tossed them. Joey and Mai walked in the serene silence, drinking in the sights and sounds of the delightfully carefree day. Mai sipped at her milkshake and smiled a little as a bird flew next to her and looked curiously at her with it's beady little eyes.

"It's a beautiful day." She remarked casually, glancing to her side to fix Joey under her gaze. "It's nice to take a break from all that housework!"

"I know what you mean." Joey smiled. "But it goes a lot faster with an extra set of hands!" He winked.

"Thanks for that." Mai nodded. "I know how much you hate cleaning, so I can't imagine what possessed you to come help me with the chores."

Joey's smile was genuine, and seemed to reach deeper than just the surface. "I'd do anything you asked, Mai." He said quietly, seriously. His tone lacked the familiar joking quality that she had grown accustomed to, replaced by a deep conviction that shone in his brown eyes. Mai found herself temporarily unable to breathe, and her feet got all tangled up beneath her.

Before she could react, before she could even begin to fall, really, he was there, catching her safely in his arms. Their faces were inches apart, breath mingling in the warm sunshine. The pounding of both their own hearts and the pounding of the other filled their ears like a tidal wave. Joey swallowed.

"Mai?" He whispered.

"Yes, Joey?" She whispered back, dazed and rapidly losing herself in his gaze.

"There's something I want to ask you." He blushed, and fished for something in his pocket. She felt her breath snag in her throat when he pulled out a small white box. Her eyes widened.

"Will you marry me?"

Mai's mouth fell open as he pried open the lid to reveal a simple, shining diamond ring. She had never seen anything so gloriously beautiful in her entire life, and she had spent quite a few years on cruise ships filled to the brim with tittering women just dripping with jewels. He had thoroughly stunned her, so much so that she could not speak.

Her silence disheartened him, and he suddenly began to speak in a rush.

"I mean, I know it's sudden, and sure a little more forewarning would have been nice, but I can't wait any longer." His eyes grew restless as her shock continued. "Please Mai, I love you. I've never felt this way about anyone before in my life. You make my head spin so fast I can't hardly think. I love you, I love you, I-"

She kissed him.

"Yes." She breathed, eyes closed, savouring the touch of his lips and the smell of his cheap cologne and the thrum of his voice in his chest as it pressed against hers. She kissed him again, and again, tasting the salt in both of their tears. "Yes, yes I will marry you! I will!" She was utterly giddy, but she did not care. She had not a care in the world!

They embraced one another, surrounded by the whispering trees and the giggling animals, and the elderly folk who's hearts warmed at the young love that had blossomed.

_A bright spot to pierce the growing dark, we are_

_ One together, One forever._

_ Let thunder crash and hatred smash_

_ Against our bond_

_ We will not break._

_**A/N: Okay, did I lose anybody? I am sorry for the long period of silence, I am beginning to think that this little story is not worth continuing. The idea is not as original as I had once hoped. But let me know your opinion if you please, I would dearly love to hear what you think. Shall I continue and try to salvage this thing? In the meantime I think I shall start something new and exciting to make me feel better. ;)**  
_


	7. Chapter 7

Yugi had spent the remainder of the evening and a large portion of the night still at the table, unmoving but for the frantic scanning of his eyes and the occasional flick of his hands as he turned page after page. His eyes were sore, his whole body ached from the long stay in the uncomfortable position, but he could not be bothered to move. Bakura had left hours ago, leaving his findings for Yugi to examine at his leisure, hoping that maybe he could discover something they had overlooked.

He had devoured page after page, text after text, scanning pictures, textbook scribbles, newspaper clippings, anything he could, searching for clues; any clues. But his efforts were in vain, he found nothing that made mention of sacrifices made for anything other than the 'Dark Games'. If the monsters that lived beside their world had demanded some sort of offering for their continued protection and servitude, there was no mention of it anywhere.

His grandfather had once tried to urge him into retiring, (a weary mind would find nothing new, he warned) but if Yugi, lost in his reverie, had heard him then he did not show it. He continued on, his steady determination keeping his eyes roving, though he absorbed little. Random words jumped out from the pages and seemed to snatch at his eyes until he flipped the page and they were lost again. Soon those collected words began to form a dense cloud behind his eyes.

He fell into a troubled sleep, his head resting on the notebook he'd been glaring at and yet more papers clutched in his outstretched hands. His lips twitched; a faint line between his brows shadowed his whole face. Clearly his subconscious was not at rest even asleep, struggling to unravel the mysteries that he sensed were just beyond his reach.

His dreams were a tangled mess. Shapes and colourless shadows darted this way and that, demanding his attention, teasingly plucking at the farthest reaches of his memory. The final piece of an elusive and eternal puzzle was near, within reach, if he could only solve the riddle of these ever shifting shadows.

_Wait..._ He thought lazily, his consciousness buried under the weight of exhaustion. _Puzzle?_

He began to sort through the twisting conundrum almost without thought, some inner part of himself recognizing the challenge for what it was and rising up to conquer it. Each individual shape and blot began to piece together, forming a solid whole. He worked his brain to the limits, reaching for the solutions he knew were there, blurry with the coating of sleep. And as he worked, more and more pieces of the puzzle began falling into place, until they almost lined up of their own accord.

Finally, the solution clicked within his head.

"It's the same thing..." Yugi mumbled, still asleep. His eyes flickered under his eyelids and became still as he was pulled deeper into the realm of sleep than he had gone in a long time.

~0oOo0~

_ Yugi..._

_Yuugiiii..._

Yugi groaned and rolled over, trying to ignore the call. Didn't they realize he was asleep?

_It's probably Grandpa..._ he thought lazily. _Maybe he needs something?_

_Yuuuugiiiiii..._

_ I'm coming._ He tried to say, but his tongue was thick in his mouth; unresponsive. Yugi's eyes fluttered and opened.

For a wild, panicked second, he thought he had gone blind. Only, it was... wrong.

He bolted upright, grasping at the air before his face as though hoping a stray sheet of paper was stuck to his forehead. The table was gone, the kitchen was gone, and in their place there was nothing but a vast, empty whiteness.

_Where am I?_ Again, the words refused to come from his mouth, he could only think them. He tried many times to speak, each without success. Yugi glanced left and right, wondering where on earth he was, and how he could get back home.

_Yugi._

There was that voice again! It was not his grandfather. The voice was deeper, more commanding and powerful. It sounded neither friendly nor hostile, so he couldn't be certain of the wisdom in answering. Curiosity prodded him to call back, but he still couldn't figure out how to speak in this place.

_Yugi... Come to me._

Once more, he hesitated. But he knew he was never going to get out of here on his own, and whomever was calling him must have a good reason for doing so. Yugi cautiously began to work his way forward, tensed and alert for the first sign of danger. As he walked, the white space began to dissolve around him, leaving an inky blackness in it's wake. His vision was suddenly limited to this black tunnel, through which a single beam of light could be seen. And with every step, the voice calling to him grew louder, seeming to come from that small space.

_You're almost there. Come to us, come to us._

Yugi paused on the threshold, unable to see anything beyond it. _Us?_

A sudden, violent tremor rocked him and he overbalanced, pitching forward into the hole. His silent scream was lost behind lips that still refused to open as he plunged into the light. A rainbow of brilliant and vivid colours assailed his eyes as he twisted and turned, making him nauseous. Just as the thought that he was going to be sick crossed his mind, his feet his solid ground. With his head still spinning madly, Yugi couldn't register the return of his balance fast enough to avoid overbalancing and falling forward again.

Strong arms caught him, holding him steady until the world stopped revolving. All Yugi could see was a blur of turquois and silver. He tried to stand, but groaned and only slumped further into the arms of his support. He tried to mumble an apology, too disoriented to feel embarrassed.

"Give it a moment. Your body will adjust."

Yugi froze. He knew that voice. The shock helped to clear his head, and his eyes focused as he pushed himself upright.

"Timaeus!" He cried, able to speak once more. Timaeus stepped back and bowed, his one blue eye holding a tiredness, a sorrow that was much more pronounced than when last they had seen each other.

"Welcome, young warrior. It has been a long time since the Dominion of the Beasts was graced by your presence."

"The Dominion of the Beasts? Is _that_ where I am?" For the first time, Yugi was able to get a good look at his surroundings. Hundreds upon hundreds of Duel Monsters stood around them, encompassing them in a tight ring. He put a hand to his head, completely baffled.

"How did I get here? And what's going on?" He asked, scanning the crowd for any familiar faces. He could see many monsters that he recognized, but he was startled to note that most of their faces were twisted into looks of anger and fear.

"I called you here." Timaeus told him. "I bear a warning, and some advice. Look around you, partner of the Heart. What do you see?"

Pain. Fear. Rage the likes of which he'd never known. Hate. Love. And many, many tears. A familiar face began pushing her way through the crowd, and before he knew it the Dark Magician Girl was before him, reaching out and clasping his hands. She didn't not speak.

"What's going on?" Yugi repeated gently, trying to look her in the eye. She shook her head and swallowed, fighting back the sobs that shook her slender frame.

"We are at war."

The words pierced Yugi like an icy dagger. He could not draw breath for many moments.

"There have been numerous groups of Monsters that have gone astray, fallen from the path to the Heart." Timaeus continued. "Of these, many have decided that they have not been getting the respect they deserve. They have decided to take action."

The Dark Magician Girl interrupted him, speaking with a shaking voice. "They are disregarding the safety of all our lives. Our two worlds depend upon one another to survive! But these Monsters have decided to end that union. Given the chance, they will destroy everything!"

Her voice cracked, and she had to spend a second composing herself. "They have broken away from the Heart of the Cards, and they are going to punish all those that have not given them the respect they desire. We have tried to stop them, we have tried..."

She collapsed into sobs, burying her face in Yugi's shoulder. He couldn't move, couldn't think. At war? Duel Monsters seeking revenge? But how? How was this possible?

Timaeus gently pulled her away. She did not fight him. Still crying, she stepped back and quietly dabbed at her eyes.

"It is true." He said, bitterness clear in his voice. "The Heart has torn itself asunder. The one half seeks to destroy the whole." He opened his arms to the assembled crowd. "What you see here is the last stand. These monsters alone remain loyal to the Heart and to their masters and friends."

_So few..._ Yugi thought, his heart despairing. _How could this have happened?_

A sliver of thought, a razor edged realization thundered through his head. The completed puzzle popped into his mind.

"Timaeus..." He began slowly, unsure how to phrase his question properly. "Is the Shadow Realm connected to the Dominion of the Beasts?"

Yugi almost felt him stiffen in surprise, and his voice carried just a hint of strain to it that wasn't present before. "That is not a question to ask lightly, Yugi Moto."

"I know." He said solemnly. "I wouldn't unless I had to. Please Timaeus."

The dragon warrior sighed, the tenseness fleeing his suddenly exhausted form.

"Long ago, before the pyramids of Egypt were raised, before even the great stone seal rained fire from the skies, man and monster walked the earth as partners. We lived in harmony with mankind, protecting them from threats and dangers that intruded from beyond their dimension, asking in return nothing more than companionship." Timaeus paused, looking at Yugi from the corner of his eye. "It was the kind of companionship that is not so easily granted, I suppose. You had one such bond, with the spirit of that ancient pharaoh from millennia past."

Yugi started as though someone had come up and touched him with a live wire. "The pharaoh? What did he have to do with this?"

"Nothing. Everything. You see, you and the pharaoh were bound to one another through your minds, connected by ties to the soul. You lived as much in his heart as he in yours. Ages past, this was not so uncommon an occurrance.

"But one day, when we were all young and brash, just getting to know each other, some limits were crossed and some consequences exacted. Man began to see us as no more than fairy-tales to be brushed aside, treated us as no more than elaborate fantasies. Some of them abandoned us outright, cutting us from their minds and hearts like some unwanted growth. We were cast aside, left alone to die.

"Some of the most powerful monsters gathered a counsel together that day, myself and my brothers among them. We knew that we would never survive in their world alone, and there were not enough still loyal to us to support us all. We thought of only one option, and that was to branch off into a neighboring dimension and create a new home. We discovered that the necessary human energy that we needed could still leech through to us, though the hardships would be many and we knew that those who could not adapt to the changes would die. It was a hard decision, but we felt we had no choice. It was either this or succumb to a life of servitude, pleading at the end of a chain for the love that once poured freely from the hearts of men."

Yugi felt his heart grow cold as he listened to the tale silently. He thought of all of the people he had met that acted as if their own monsters, their own fighting companions, were no more than ink on cards. For the first time, he felt alienated from his own race, from those that had convinced themselves that this whole other world did not exist at all. Timaeus continued after a reflective pause, heavy with the somber atmosphere.

"When we separated, we encountered something that not even the wisest of us could have foreseen. A dimension of blackness, shrouding the world in a thick blanket of poison. This, though we did not know it at the time, would later become the Shadow Realm.

"It fit snuggly over the earth like a second skin, and we were horrified to learn that the souls of men were being sucked into it's depths with increasing frequency. We never understood why, whether the realm itself was a sentient, living thing, or if something inside of it was feeding on the angry and corrupted energies that human beings had spawned within themselves. In any case, the only way to get to our new home was through this black cloud, and we were strict about keeping as close to the light as we could. But alas, for all of our precautions, many monsters became lost in that dark day. Those who's weal was already poised to darkness slipped away, corrupted. Some managed to steal others with them. For all of the monsters you have ever seen in your life, and all those you yet haven't, understand that they are no more than a fraction of those that left with us that day. It was a tragic time, and we have never recovered from the scars it left behind."

Yugi had almost forgotten they had an audience. Every creature's face now was streaked with tears, though fewer bore the expressions of cold anger that they had worn when first he entered. No, those faces had transformed into faces of pure, unadulterated anguish.

"You ask if the Shadow Realm is connected to the Dominion of the Beasts Yugi." Timaeus said, his voice shaking. "Now you know."

"I never..." Yugi faltered, his own pain for the hardships these creatures had endured tightening his throat. "I'm sorry. I never knew that your past was so haunted, so pain filled."

Timaeus placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "Do not apologize." He said sternly, though not unkindly, gripping him tight. "We were just as much to blame. We grew too lax, to lazy and unguarded. We Children of the Heart, 'Duel Monsters' as we are called in modern times, have but one weakness that man can exploit. Aside from personal battles with each other, which were few and far between back then, there was only one thing alone that could truly harm us." Timaeus stopped for a moment, and Yugi was shocked to see him on the verge of tears. He wanted to say that he did not have to go on, that if it was too painful, Yugi would not ask. But after a moment the proud warrior collected himself and pressed forward.

"We survive on love. Some of your kind refer to it as 'thought energy', others as the imagination. In some ways, all of that is correct. We are like legends, myths. Without someone to believe in us, we become lost and forgotten, dying true deaths. The respect that duelists have for us, the partnership we forge with them is founded with love. A mutual understanding for one another that grows to form a connection so deep and strong that at times there is no telling between who it the monster and who is the duelist. Sometimes that line can disappear completely, and an unbreakable trust is formed. Like with you and the pharaoh, we can merge ourselves together with those that the Heart chooses as worthy. It was how we lived in the beginning. We became so close to men's souls that their vibrant spirits gave us life, sustained us. It is still like that now, though the connection is not nearly as strong. Only in special cases, as with you."

Timaeus smiled, a rare sight. The Dark Magician Girl suddenly stepped from her place among the crowd and embraced Yugi, briefly.

"Thank you." She whispered, her sea green eyes sparkling like jewels. Then she turned and was gone again.

"She and her master, the Dark Magician, have been blessed by the Heart indeed to have found a duelist like you." Timaeus explained into Yugi's clearly baffled expression. "That both you and the Pharaoh resided in one mind provided the two of them a level of happiness that is seldom seen in these dark days. As you have seen before, they would have done anything to protect you. The Dark Magician especially. Though he would never admit to such, he loves you both and is indebted to you for giving the girl a chance at life that he thought she could never have."

"I am honoured." Yugi mumbled, hanging his head meekly. "He has been a true friend to me, they both have. I know that the pharaoh would have said the same."

"I do not mean to turn from pleasant topics, but I feel I must ask." The dragon warrior locked gazes with Yugi again. "What prompted you to ask such a thing of me?"

"Well..." Yugi began. "It started earlier today when my friend Bakura stopped by my house with an interesting bit of information..."

Yugi continued to explain all that they had unearthed, trying to elaborate as much as he could about _why_ Bakura was so convinced that there were sacrifices that existed for the sole purpose of giving power to the Duel Monsters. And then, all at once, what he was saying seemed to actually register itself for the first time.

"It's the same thing." He repeated, stunned. If Timaeus had picked up a tree branch and whacked him over the head with it, it would have produced no greater effect. Suddenly he understood.

"It all makes sense!" Yugi cried out, spinning to face the warrior with an expression filled with both understanding and cold terror. "All this time I've been looking for some sign, some clue that rituals or sacrifices or something were being enacted to give strength to the monsters on the other side of the barrier. But now I realize I had my answer the whole time! There _are_ sacrifices being made, and they're all the same. They're all the result of the Shadow Games!"

Timaeus did not seem to share in his revelation. "But the origin of the Shadow Games began in Egypt, with the creation of the Millennium Items. That was only a short time ago. If the monsters have been growing in power as long as you claim, then why have we not seen it before now?"

"Because before the Shadow Games existed, there was still a way for the monsters to get inside the hearts of men. Just because the games did not exist doesn't mean the Realm itself didn't. I remember the pharaoh telling me about this when we travelled into the world of his memories. The Millennium Items drew out the monster that was feeding off of a person's soul, sealing it within stone tablets so that it could be put to good use. But what about before the Items were created? There would have been nothing stopping a monster, any monster, from forcing someone to become corrupt, creating more darkness to feed from. Those monsters must be the same ones that fell into the blackness the first time!"

"By all the Gods above and below." Timaeus breathed, sinking back as though he had been deflated. "Are you saying that our brethren that we lost that day are still _alive_?"

"Yes." Yugi whispered delicately. "And no. They are not as you remember them. They have fallen in with the lost souls of the human world, and they are using whatever link that crosses our two dimensions to enter the hearts of men and poison them."

"If you are correct," He said, and Yugi gathered from his tone that he desperately hoped otherwise. "It would mean that the monsters in the shadows have been gathering power since the day we left the earth. If you are correct..."

Yugi finished for him, his face grim and pale. "Then we know where the other half of this war is getting it's power from, and what it's going to be used for."

"They're trying to cross over."

**A/N: You guys need to help me out here. Is this making any sense at all? This almighty idea came to me in the dead of night and kept me up until four a.m, but I think it may contradict what I was trying to say before. Let me know, will you? I'll go back and try to fix the previous chapter(s) in the meantime.**


	8. Chapter 8

Yugi had the strangest sensation of being pulled up through a sheet of ice water; his breath halted, his hands went numb. With a distantly detached sensation of panic, he felt his heart slowing. But before the alarm could properly settle, he registered hands on his shoulders and the call of a familiar voice from a great void.

He woke to find himself sitting back in his kitchen table; his grandfather's worry thick in the air. His blurry vision wavered a bit as Solomon shook him again.

"Yugi! You've got to see this! Wake up!"

"I'm up." He mumbled dazedly, more to get his grandfather to stop shaking him than anything. Solomon let him go and he wobbled a bit before reorienting himself.

"You need to see this. Quickly." He reiterated, his voice solemn, grave. And, Yugi was shocked to note, _trembling_, as if in great fear. Without another word he leapt up, sending the chair skidding backward so fast it toppled with a bang.

Solomon led him into the living room, where the television was flickering coldly. The noise, after so long in the silence, was deafening, but eventually Yugi adjusted enough to interpret both sight and sound.

What he saw stunned him like a blow to the chest.

It looked like something taken right out of an old, badly translated science fiction movie. A tall humanoid creature stalked the streets, firing pale red lasers from its eyes and melting bullets midair. Several policemen stood in front of the creature, behind the safety of their cars as they fired round after ineffectual round of bullets, bombs, and other missiles at it. It simply continued forward, past the reporter screaming into his microphone and the cowering cameraman who was trying to get a clear shot of the action from a safe distance. Then it stopped, directly in the middle of the street. Yugi could see traffic backed up for blocks, none daring to move past the strange beast.

Yugi nearly swallowed his tongue when the camera got an up close look at the monster. Sleek, poison green metal armour, tiny rounded red goggles, a stature that would probably dwarf even Kaiba, and a veiny skull bursting with psychic energy...

Jinzo.

As he watched in silent horror, the monster slowly brought his hands up and spread them apart like he was holding a basketball. A dark orb filled with multi coloured lights began to swell between his fingertips.

"No..." Yugi breathed, unable to watch, yet unable to tear his gaze away. Jinzo fired the ball into the mass of police cars.

Nothing happened, and for a moment, Yugi dared to feel a shred of relief; perhaps the monster's powers could not be fully translated into reality. The shouting re-ensued quickly, and the camera tilted to watch a huge bird-like monster dive bomb Jinzo. Talons extended, the monster swooped low and snatched him neatly into the sky. Hesitant cheers began, the people believing that the monster had been carried off to it's death.

Three seconds later, the entire square exploded.

~0oOo0~

"Kaiba Corp. cannot be considered responsible for this incident. We specialize in realistic, holographic images designed to bring a level of unprecedented realism to the game. Without the right technology, these images cannot be projected. Mr. Kaiba denies all involvement with this afternoon's events, and I personally suspect that it was someone's idea of a grand scale prank."

Roland recited his small speech in a smooth, rehearsed tone, as he had been instructed. His glasses covered the unnatural worry in his eyes, and the sweat that coated his neck could easily be attributed to a hot suit in the sun. Truthfully, Kaiba had absolutely no idea what to make of the frantic news report that aired early that afternoon, and had wisely shut himself up in his office in preparation of the mob that would undoubtedly come screaming bloody murder at his doorstep. His head was always the first to be placed on the chopping block whenever something unusual occurred pertaining to the strange world of Duel Monsters.

The already exhausted employee faithfully stuck to his explanations as a hundred reporters snapped pictures, shouted indecipherably and shoved their microphones up his nose, hoping that his boss would have an answer soon.

Mokuba was unusually silent, filling the air around him with a gentle sort of apprehension. The angry clickity-clack of pressed keys created a sort of monotonous mantra, snapping his concentrated thoughts into smaller and smaller pieces as the seconds snuck past. He tried to distract himself from the irritation that was leeching out from the elder Kaiba's stoic form, but the only option remained to try and lose himself in the captions scrolling repeatedly across the bottom of their television screen. Demanding silence, Kaiba had muted the news program so he could properly focus on the daunting task of once more clearing his name from the news reports, but it mattered very little. Mokuba had all but memorized the story; if he closed his eyes the afterimages of the words continued to burn dully in the darkness.

'_Remarkably, no one was injured in the strange explosion, though there were reports of several cars either missing or shredded irreparably. Police are still attempting to identify the source of the blast, but the only lead that has been determined seems to hold origin within a certain over-popular card game that has been sweeping the nation for years. Speculations of fans somehow attempting to re-enact battles from the game are being posed, but it still seems unlikely-'_

Mokuba's face scrunched with the same frustration that was tugging on his brother's features, feeling his heart grow heavy. There had been too much talk of Duel Monsters these past few years for even his liking. Abnormalities were not generally smiled upon in the public's unforgiving eye, and having long ago established that Kaiba Corp. was directly tied to the very thing that appeared to be fond of terrorizing the city from time to time meant that he and Seto would always be the first scapegoats to consider when normalcy went awry. It was enough to drive the cold spear of ice planted in Seto's heart a little deeper every time. He had never been particularly sociable, but the actions of an angry people proved time and again that he was always better off alone.

A sigh and nearly silent shuffle marked the end of Mokuba's patience. He couldn't stew in the same atmosphere of barely restrained rage and discomposure they'd been slogging through for another minute. He stood and stretched,-for all the good it would do his stiff muscles- his actions unnoticed by the absorbed C.E.O. Another sigh; Mokuba snatched the controller from the couch and mashed the 'off' button as hard as he could. He resisted the urge to throw the device at the wall however, and instead half-heartedly chucked it back to the couch. It bounced and hit the floor with a dull thud.

_Just leave, just leave it, it's not worth it, just leave it there..._

Not having the energy enough to bend, Mokuba dropped unceremoniously to his knees to grab the troublesome thing. His hand paused a breath away however, something else near the edge of the couch grabbing his attention.

"Seto."

"Not now Mokuba." Was the response, tense and snappish. Mokuba didn't hear him, still staring at the new object in fascination and fear. He looked up a moment later when he realized he was still lacking his brother's attention, and plucked the thing from the floor quickly, carting it to the desk instead.

"_Seto_." Mokuba reiterated, impatiently thrusting the item under Kaiba's nose. Kaiba swallowed and nearly choked on his angry retort before it left his mouth.

"What is _that_?" He demanded, his tone somehow managing a combination of irritation and patience. Mokuba shrugged, at a loss. Kaiba momentarily forgot about the stress that lay in a thick shroud around his computer as he slipped the thin card out of Mokuba's hand and examined it more closely.

"Whatever it is, it certainly looks genuine." He muttered, flipping the card around and around. It was a Duel Monster's card, but where the monster should have been there was only a black silhouette, as if the creature had been cleanly sliced from the paperboard. Struck by sudden recognition, Seto plunged his hand into an inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out his deck. As expected, his three Blue-Eyes were positioned on top, as though eagerly awaiting the touch of his dueling fingers.

The dragons were intact, the same as they had always been. Whatever this card was, it held no importance to him.

"Probably just some cheap joke." Seto flicked the card toward his trash bin, the light of interest snuffed from his eyes. Cold anger filled their icy depths once more as he returned to his typing. Mokuba snatched the fluttering card out of reflex more than anything else, tucking it close. Maybe he'd hang on to it, just because.

He left the room a short while later, promising to bring up sandwiches and coffee. Safely stowed away in the pocket of his jeans, the mysterious card hummed softly and began to glow.

~0oOo0~

"Look, I can assure you with the utmost confidence that Kaiba Corporation is not responsible for any incidents concerning Duel Monsters outside from our _holographic_ dueling systems. What happened today is at best a malfunctioning program, though Mr. Kaiba would like me to remind you again that the systems released to the general public are incapable of any sort of physical-"

Roland stopped, quite relieved and not at all questioning when the mass of reporters, microphones and obnoxious cameras simultaneously stopped. As if on cue, they clapped their hands over their left ears, froze, turned, collected themselves and scampered away, almost as one body.

_Oh thank goodness._ What little strength he still had within him was directed totally toward keeping his knees locked. He couldn't even summon the energy to reach for his handkerchief.

Of course, when he understood the source of the newest distraction a few seconds later, he almost wished he could trade the new situation for the old one.

~0oOo0~

Rare were the moments in history in which Seto Kaiba was not prepared for anything. Even so engrossed in his business, an unexpected phone call or unnannounced visit rarely seemed to surprise the teen; all events were answered with the same calm assurance, so fluently that there was hardly a break in his daily routine. Thus, when the piercing shriek of his desk phone intruded on the silence he had become so accustomed to, his fingers barely paused in their practiced movements as the receiver was smoothly plucked up and placed in front of his scowling mouth.

It took Seto Kaiba a good moment to sort through the indecipherable mess of stutters and stammers of the speaker; not an easy task while simultaneously juggling facts and figures with your other hand.

When he finally managed to pick one word apart from the others and continue from there, his movements simply stopped.

A faint click echoed in his ear. Silence.

A crash, the heavy breaking sound of shattered plexiglass windowpanes. A scream.

That scream jolted Seto Kaiba back to his professional senses. That scream chilled Seto Kaiba to the depths of his heart.

"Mokuba! _MOKUBA_!"

His doors burst open, nearly flying from their hinges from the sheer force of the blow. Flying down the stairs, his only thoughts comprised of Mokuba's safety and the bloody, well-disguised murder of the threat, Seto Kaiba barreled into the main lobby and nearly felt his heart stop beating.

Mokuba lay in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, a smashed plate at his side and pieces of a carefully made sandwich strewn across the floor. Dark liquid oozed into sight as he pelted toward his brother, but after a sickening moment of terror Seto Kaiba was able to identify the substance as coffee, and he continued his quick scan with a cool head.

Mokuba was unconscious, barely breathing, but alive. With that knowledge came a flood of relief, but Seto Kaiba realized that he still had yet to find what had done this to him in the first place.

He stood and spun around, the promise of death clear in his eyes.

Seto Kaiba came face to face with a strange sight. His Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Seto!" Mokuba called, perched comfortably between the dragon's shoulder blades. He glanced from the body on the floor, to his brother's open face. _How...?_

His brother beckoned to him, and he, feeling as one in a daze, took a step forward.

The dragon would not let him pass. It opened its maw, lightning crackling between its teeth as a light grew in the base of its throat. Seto Kaiba had no time to move, no time to dodge or somehow otherwise reflect the blow. The stunning blast he had so often inflicted upon others was finally loosed upon him; every ounce of cold fury he had kept in his heart reflected in the dragon's blue, blue eyes.

Something within him began to burn. He opened his mouth and it shrieked and twisted, using his voice to express the agony. It sought to find an escape; to make one if it must. It clawed through his heart, searching for a speck of darkness, a shield from the light, that burning light!

But the fire moved methodically through his veins, immune to the pleas. The fire continued scorching, burning. It was not alive, Seto Kaiba could not reason with it, could not make it stop with petty words. But yet it was alive, breathing and burning and leaving him exposed, naked.

Clean.

The dragon snapped its teeth together with a harsh click. The lightning ceased. The fire was gone.

Seto Kaiba crumpled to the ground, smoke trailing from his blackened form, and died. Something scattered across the floor, somehow unharmed despite the flames. Three Blue Eyes White Dragon cards settled on the carpet, one already black and the others fading. Two more dragons rose to life from the depths, one holding a limp form between its teeth as gently as a mother cat with her kitten.

Mokuba Kaiba smiled and reached to the floor, where his big brother was deposited. The elder looked up, smiled a bit himself for the first time in a long while, and grasped the offered hand.

Together, the two seated themselves on the back of the great dragon and held each other as the great wings began to beat.

The brothers looked down at their respective bodies and watched them dwindle away to nothing as the dragons departed into the vast expanse of pure blue sky.


	9. Chapter 9

**A.N.** **The wait for this story has been long and disappointing, my friends, and I am sorry to say that the wait may not be over just yet. However, I wish to reassure those of you patient few who still believe that this is something worth waiting for, that I do not give up. I simply... hibernate.**

**Thank you, dear readers, old and new, from the depths of my heart. May the conclusion arrive with swiftness.  
**

**~Dreamer  
**

The palace was in turmoil. Never had Atem seen such chaos within the walls; it seemed as if every voice sought to overpower the others, every form struggled to be seen above the calamity. His father was one of the few who remained silent, standing alone and wearing an expression that sent shivers coursing through whomever happened to catch a glimpse of his face. Atem tried several times to garner the attention of a familiar figure, but he was pushed and prodded about so much by the swirling mob the task was nigh impossible. First Shadi swept past, hardly even glancing in the former pharaoh's direction; his fathomless eyes dark and troubled. He spotted Mahod next, towing Mana behind him as fast as the mass of pushing bodies would allow, the young apprentice just managing to keep her hat on her head and her feet moving beneath her. Atem reached out desperately as he closed the last few feet, but Mahod's snapping cloak remained just out of reach of his stretching fingers.

Cursing his ill luck, Atem performed a few quick side-steps, ceasing to move against the flow and simply moving adjacent to it. His feet were tread upon a few more times, but the oddly painless sensation was definitely worth the trade when he finally escaped and found cool, reassuringly solid stone under his fingertips. He focused on letting his breath return to a normal rhythm, tuning out the few exceptional shouts that pinched the wrong emotions. The overall voice of the palace was one of great curiosity and amazement, but the occasional yell that made itself known caused old feelings of anxiousness and fear to reawaken. Atem found himself once again slipping into a frame of mind he had not used since coming here; he found his duelist's persona was rapidly rising up to engulf him, readying him for an oncoming struggle or battle. Somewhat flustered, he shook the feelings from his mind and tried to reason that there would be no battle. Not here, where peace was the underlying current in every unneeded breath. Not here, where only spirituality flowed in the veins of the people.

Not here, surely?

A hand on his shoulder cleared his clouded violet orbs of their confused thoughts. Atem only spared a small glance in the indicated direction, but when he noticed that his father had found him he turned his heart toward him respectfully.

"What news is there?" His prayers had been answered in finally cornering a familiar face, Atem only hoped that his father would have something useful to tell him.

"New souls have arrived." Aknamkanon explained simply, causing his son's expression to momentarily falter. Seeing the look, Aknamkanon crossed his arms and shut his mouth. Atem recognized that look all too well, it was a look he had earned many a time for speaking out of line during his lessons, or getting caught sneaking extra honey cakes from the kitchens after dark. A guilty, child-like blush crept up to his cheeks; he hoped his tan would hide it.

"I am sorry, father. I will endeavor to be more respectful." Atem bowed his head humbly, and it granted the desired effect. His father nodded once and continued in the same, low tone.

"You know these souls."

Atem's head jerked up once more, his heart threatening none too subtly to give up and quit on him if it kept scaring like this. He couldn't speak; fortunately his eyes were so wide his father could read everything in them anyway.

"Your partner is not among them, my son." He whispered, unsure how the news would be taken. Atem was quite unsure whether he should be grateful that Yugi was still alive or merely sad that he still was not here. _What are you thinking?_ He demanded of himself. _Don't go wishing for your partner's death you idiot!_

"Who comes, then?" Atem finally got around to asking, realizing that the arrivals could be just as important to him. Aknamkanon's face did not shift out of the grimace it had set itself into, a look that was neither comforting nor familiar. He had never seen his father so on edge, so indecisive about anything. The emotion crossed between them and settled in his son as well.

"Father?"

"It is better that I show you, rather than try to explain." Aknamkanon spoke as though there had been no pause. "We will go, but we mustn't be seen."

As much as Atem loved his dear father, a part of him became suspicious the instant they turned from the throng of still mingling people and advanced down a shadowy corridor. Blame all the years of too many enemies hiding in the darkness. He stayed silent and kept his fears to himself, trusting.

But not blindly. He kept his eyes moving constantly, trying to fathom where they could be going. This did not go unnoticed, but Aknamkanon merely waved the matter away with a touch of amused pride. He would have done nothing less, had their roles been reversed. They did not have far to go, soon enough his father led him out onto a balcony that extended off the side of the palace, likely a servants' route.

"There." He pointed, extending his hand to the outer edge of the crowd that had assembled. Atem squinted in the light; the scene was blurred. What appeared to be three large white statues were being pulled toward the palace, everyone from peasant to royalty swarming around them. He wondered at the significance of the statues; they certainly were beautiful, shining brilliantly in the light, but there was something odd about them...

He had only to wonder at why they so teased his memory long enough for one of the 'statues' to rear its head back and roar fiercely at the crowd that hindered its path. Atem grabbed the railing with such intensity he looked as though he was seconds away from vaulting himself over it. People scattered every which way to avoid the dragon's mighty gaze, and with them out of the way, it was not hard to spot the person that walked between them as calmly and coldly as ever before.

Gone were Atem's doubts concerning these new arrivals. There could be no doubt, not after this. His mind seemed caught in a whirlwind, devoting only half of the proper attention to his actions and the reasons behind them. The other half succumbed to instinct, to blind emotion. He turned and briskly walked away without so much as an acknowledging glance in his father's direction. He heard his father's surprised shout long after it had been uttered. He started running at some point, he wasn't certain where. Halls and columns sped past in a blur, leaving the imprints of their symbols on the backs of his eyes. Noise filled his ears and jerked him back to his senses. Slowing, he caught himself before he barreled around the next corner and paused to breathe.

"It's unlike anything I've ever seen."

"Could this be related to-"

"Do you suppose the Gods know-"

"What are we to do?"

Questions and speculations spun in the air around him. Some were curious, some were angry. But the ones that caught and held his attention the most, were the ones that rang out in fear. He tried to find them, but they were lost in a sea of the same. He shouldered his way through the speakers as best he could, despite his sizeable disadvantage.

"It cannot be..."

"Silence, fool! What if-"

"Look, how beautiful they are!"

"You cannot mean to-"

"Who is that?"

"He looks..."

"Hey!"

Atem pushed and prodded at unmoving figures until they realized whom they were hindering and scurried out of his way. He paid them no mind. Eyes locked on the approaching assembly, he moved toward the center of everyone's attention with single-minded intensity that left those who caught the look in his eyes gaping behind him. But the throng thickened the closer he got, eventually becoming as a wall of curious bodies who had no intention of forfeiting their coveted front-row stands. Try as he might, he could not get by them.

Shouting to be heard over the din of the crowd, he only added to the cacophony as the procession passed. Glimpses stolen between fluttering cloaks and shifting stances awarded him with those same flashes of white that dazzled everyone else, but he kept his attention nearer to the ground, where he knew he had last seen him. There he was. Blue eyes surveyed their surroundings with emotionless ease, assured of safety by the three towering monsters on his side. Another, smaller figured walked beside him, their hands linked as tightly as though to never be separate again.

Atem renewed his efforts to get through, shouting out curses, threats and pleas, shoving and pulling and stepping on feet left and right until someone finally took notice of the wrathful mini thunderstorm in their midst. Once it was made known that Pharaoh walked among them, people became slightly less willing to stand in the way, but by the time he managed to squeeze out of the mass and stand free the procession had passed him and was nearing the gates to the palace. He ran for all he was worth, desperate to enter with them.

The gates rumbled hugely, the vibrations trembling through the ground and up his spine. He halted in amazement as every mouth abruptly silenced in awed respect; knees bent, foreheads touched the earth in reverence. He felt exposed as figure after figure suddenly dipped into a bow.

He could not see beyond the back of the latter most dragon, but he sensed the power of the Gods even still. Torn between respect and his own personal desires, he wasn't sure whether to add his murmurs of thanks and blessings to those whispering around him or close the distance between he and his target with one last, mad rush.

In the end he decided on a mix of both. When the dragons began moving again, escorting their charges into the palace, he threw caution to the ground and trampled over it in his desperate run. Surprised whispers laced with his name hovered just under the general noise of the assembled people, but he didn't care. If his actions brought about punishments that would see him through the rest of this life, he would not care. He had to know, he had to get inside and finally figure out what was going on!

Mumbling prayers of thanks and forgiveness, he put on a last burst of speed just as the great stone doors began easing themselves closed. Hurling himself full tilt after them, he managed to slip inside their reach with seconds to spare.

The gate closed with a final and foreboding boom behind him.

~0oOo0~

Silence fell, as thick and complete as any he had ever known. It pressed in on his throat as if forbidding speech; reverence was the first command that came to mind within these omnipresent walls. He felt exposed among the high domed roof; the heavily runed columns stripped him of his authority and left him a mere man trespassing in the Gods abode. Knowing that he was where he should not be, he sought to find a quick hiding place before those very Gods arrived. Guilt began to gnaw at his stomach as he flitted behind a column to find a carving of Horus' Eye staring accusingly at him. Atem tucked his cloak about him defensively. He couldn't turn back now even had he desired to, but he knew that whatever punishment was in store for him would be worth the knowledge he hoped to gain. He had to know what was going on.

The three dragons and their human companions proceeded to the center of the great building before they stopped, bathed in the sunlight from the high rectangular windows cut in the stone near the ceiling. Atem could just see between the massive flanks of two of the beasts, enough to glimpse Mokuba's back and half of Kaiba's right arm.

"Greetings, young ones."

Atem nearly jumped out of his skin when a voice that rumbled like a distant landslide filled the air. In less time than in took to blink, Obelisk the Tormentor abruptly appeared on one of the massive thrones before them. The pharaoh did blink for a moment before determining that it had been no illusion. The God's eyes burned holes with the intensity of his gaze. As one, the massive heads of the dragons dipped into a respectful bow. Obelisk nodded to himself and turned his attention downward and addressed the brothers.

"Seto Kaiba. Mokuba Kaiba. You have my deepest gratitude for choosing to speak with me this day. I have no doubt that you have many questions you would wish to see answered. However," The God shifted a bit, his huge bulk scraping against the gold of the chair. "You must understand that there are some puzzles that even I should not try to solve. You will have to find answers to them yourself."

The brothers did not say anything at first, obviously unsure. Seto looked as though he would maintain a stony silence, but when he spoke his voice still strong and remarkably arrogant, even as Atem remembered it.

"Why are we here?" The demand held considerably less respect than Atem would have thought wise. Clearly Kaiba was remembering a time when Obelisk served him, and was finding humility difficult. Mokuba glanced up at the dragons, forming his own line of questions. Obelisk rumbled from deep in his chest and closed his eyes.

"I had thought that would be your first inquiry. Seto Kaiba, what I tell you now I expect you to take as you will. You have never been one to allow outside forces to view the way the world and its inhabitants work, and what I say to you will challenge that like never before. You have denied your connection to Ancient Egypt for years, and I sense that you still cannot fully accept that you once lived in these hallowed lands. Your essence contradicts everything you have learned to trust in. I ask only that you listen, Seto Kaiba; and you as well, young Mokuba. What truths lie in my words are yours to decide."

With that said, the God bent somewhat and extended the tip of one wicked claw to the floor. There came a flash of light and Obelisk withdrew, leaving a hole in the stone that gazed into some foreign land.

"What you see before you is known as the Dominion of the Beasts. Seto, it is here you met Sir Critias, when the world demanded your assistance in defeating the Leviathan. See how it has changed since your visit."

Atem tried and failed to see just what the God was imparting to Kaiba, no matter how he craned his neck it seemed that the vision was doomed to lie just beyond his sight. Cursing, he hid behind the column once more and tried determine if moving closer would expose him. He measured the distance between the next column to his right; the path was mostly covered in shadow. If he could time it right, he would be able to get closer to the God without his seeing.

"The Heart of the Cards is at war with itself."

Atem dropped his plan and inched around the column again, desperately hoping his distraction had garbled the words.

"See the monsters that pace restlessly about their homes. See how their eyes glow with vengeance. After all of these years of mistreatment and abuse, hatred for their unworthy masters has finally grown strong enough to grant strength to where it should never be granted. They are gathering, fighting against those in the realm who remain loyal to their masters. Their numbers are many; the time is nigh upon us when the darkest half of the Heart will be strong enough to cross into the mortal world. This time, there will be nothing that can stop them."

Ice flooded Atem's veins. The God's rumbling words slammed into the former pharaoh like a fist. Obelisk's fist. He couldn't think. He could scarcely draw breath. A rolling wave of emotion pounded through his head, spear-headed with a word, a name, a plea. _Yugi!_

Obelisk sat back once more in his throne, his expression betraying nothing. Seto shook his head to clear it, his eyes wide. Mokuba looked as though he might be sick. After giving them a moment to recover from all he had shown them, Obelisk continued in the same, rumbling monotone.

"You are here because of your loyalty. Your dragons know of the fate of the Dominion of the Beasts, as does every monster. They brought you here at great risk, turning as they did upon their brethren to save you. With their power gone, both sides of the war will suffer."

The unified roar from the dragons blew so strongly through the halls that Atem clapped his hands over his ears. Obelisk did not blink.

"Seto Kaiba, Mokuba Kaiba, your faith in the Heart and your loyalty to your monsters has saved you from a terrible fate. Nothing can stop this calamity, and nothing shall. War will engulf the earth, and mortal man shall pay dearly for the great betrayal that was wrought eons ago."

"But why?" Kaiba shouted, losing his stoic mask for the first time since the conversation had begun. "You Gods are supposed to be all powerful. You could stop this if you wanted to, but you won't. Why?"

If Atem had been surprised at Kaiba's brazen behaviour before, he was utterly stunned now. That Kaiba had dared speak to a God in such a way was a mark of his arrogance, his confidence in facing a threat larger than him. Obelisk did not answer for a long while, but he did not seem angered. His head bowed as if he was having difficulty deciding something.

"We knew of this war long before it was to happen." He finally admitted. Atem felt his jaw drop, more ice ricocheting up his spine. "But it is not our place to intervene. Long have we stood by man, guiding him, protecting him. And yet he turned his back on us, just as he did to his brethren before the start of time. Why should we continue to coddle mortal man, why should we continue to bend to every whim and desire, only to break and be discarded? You yourself, Seto Kaiba, would have treated your monsters as nothing, less than nothing, had you not met one with faith in the Heart strong enough to sway you. Yugi Moto was your salvation."

Kaiba stiffened at the mention of his arch-rival's name, as did Atem.

"Because of that meeting, your heart was cleared and your eyes opened to the truth. Though it was long before you openly considered accepting it, your heart had been cleansed that day and began a transformation. You became a new man, one with an increased understanding of his monsters and that understanding is why you are not currently fighting in vain for your life on Earth."

Seto didn't blink, but the God had seen enough in his eyes not to press the matter farther.

"You still haven't answered my question." Kaiba said, so quietly Atem almost didn't catch it, as far away as he was.

"Ah yes. It is a simple matter, but its path can become tangled. You see, Fate had a hand in your meeting with Yugi as well. You know now, as you may have then, that the person with whom you Dueled was not Yugi Moto. Not fully. He was the soul of an ancient Pharaoh, your rival for thousands of years."

At these words, the God's red eyes flicked upward. Atem flew back behind the column's shadow the moment the eyes had moved, but the bottom dropped from his stomach as he knew he had certainly been spotted. Though after many tense seconds in which nothing happened, Atem heard Obelisk speak again.

"But despite everything you have been through, all that you have seen, your heart still will not accept Egypt as its final resting place." Obelisk's gaze drilled into Kaiba's blue eyes. "You are dead, Seto Kaiba." He said bluntly. "But you are more fortunate than most. You will not have to witness the fall of man. You, your brother, and your dragons have a better place to join with, and it is not here. All that I have told you, you needed to know. You deserved that much at least. However, you are here because there is one who would meet you, at least once, before you passed on to your own eternal resting place."

Turning one massive hand to the small doors to his left, Obelisk flicked his fingers and let one door swing open. There, garbed in the simplest of simple clothes, was a figure Seto recognized.

The woman stepped into the room shyly, but she had not taken more than a few steps before she turned back, waiting for someone else. A man garbed in the robes and ceremonial headgear of the High Priest followed after her, his eyes sparing a reassuring glance at her face before they locked with their twin's on the other side of the room.

Silence engulfed the hall as the four sized each other up. When the newcomers had crossed the room they fell into respectful bows. Mokuba did the same, but Seto merely gave a swift jerk of his head and said nothing.

"High Preist Seto and Lady Kisara, meet Seto and Mokuba Kaiba."

Atem could not help but hold his breath as the two figures most alike in the room glared at one another without emotion. Oddly though, despite the silence, there was little tension in the air between them, and what little could be found was broken when one of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons leaned over the pair and placed its great head within Lady Kisara's reach. She smiled and lifted a hand to the dragon's nose, closing her eyes. A brilliant white light speared out from her, twisting up into the air and solidifying until a fourth Blue-Eyes emerged. The dragon gave a happy roar, echoed in the calls of its lost brethren.

Kaiba didn't bother to ask how. A brief mental flash of his own hands tearing a fourth Blue-Eyes card rippled through his mind, and the High Priest nodded.

"Your debt for that loss has been paid, in full." He said. "Else you would not be here."

Mokuba stepped out of his brother's shadow and looked up at Seto's counterpart. "So, now what?"

The High Priest looked at the young boy and smiled slightly. "Now, the both of you must make a choice. This is a sacred place, a resting place, for those who no longer call the world of the living their own. If you stay here, you will not pass on to your own personal afterlife, but will be able to see the events that will decide the Earth's fate play out if you so desire. Should you wish it, we can send you along together. Though as with all things, we cannot guarantee where you will end up, or what will be in store for you. That will be for you to decide."

Mokuba glanced up at his brother to find the elder Kaiba already looking at him. They didn't need to speak. Though Mokuba was scared, very scared, with Seto beside him he would be all right. He felt very light, almost drowsy, as though he was merely dreaming. He knew it was real, but there was no fear. He would be safe with his brother, he knew that much.

Seto had resigned himself to his fate, it seemed. Though his shoulders did not lose their stiffness, nor his face its hard set, all could tell that he was ready to go. He of all of them had changed the most, yet had somehow remained so much the same. Egypt would never be his home, but he was ready to find out where he _did_ belong; they both were.

With a nod, the brothers turned as one to face the pair. Kisara smiled, and spoke.

"The heart and the mind have slept apart for too long now. Let them join, and find peace in eternity." She said softly, as her dragon moved forward. Nuzzling each of the others in turn, they appeared to be saying their goodbyes. Then, as one, the three that called Seto Kaiba their master turned and spread their wings over the two, cocooning them until they were completely smothered. With a unified cry and a burst of blue light, the entire mass vanished, leaving only the silence and the echoes of that final roar.


End file.
